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Pope Francis hosts Bill Clinton, foundation head Alex Soros

Former President Bill Clinton was received by Pope Francis at Casa Santa Marta July 5. / Vatican Dicastery for Communication

CNA Staff, Jul 5, 2023 / 15:10 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis met with former U.S. President Bill Clinton in a private audience at the Casa Santa Marta papal residence on Wednesday. Clinton’s delegation included several prominent Americans, including Alex Soros of the Open Society Foundations.

Clinton, who now focuses his efforts on philanthropy and public affairs, had visited Albania July 3-4 and received from the Albanian prime minister a public gratitude medal for his support of Albania and for NATO’s intervention in the Kosovo War, the news site Euractiv reports.

Soros, son of the billionaire financier and philanthropist George Soros, accompanied Clinton in both Albania and at the Vatican. Soros is the new chairman of the Open Society Foundations, a philanthropic giant which his father founded.

Former President Bill Clinton was accompanied by a delegation that included his son-in-law Marc Mezvinsky, his roommate at Oxford and a former Deputy Secretary of State, Strobe Talbot, and Alex Soros, chair of the Open Society Foundations. Vatican Dicastery for Communication
Former President Bill Clinton was accompanied by a delegation that included his son-in-law Marc Mezvinsky, his roommate at Oxford and a former Deputy Secretary of State, Strobe Talbot, and Alex Soros, chair of the Open Society Foundations. Vatican Dicastery for Communication

The pope presented Clinton with a statue of a woman holding a dove. The pontiff said it represents “a work for peace.”

Clinton gave Pope Francis “a little tray with the symbol of the United States on it,” according to a video posted to Twitter by Vatican News. Clinton’s office told CNA that the gift was a personalized porcelain tray bearing the presidential seal. The former president also wrote a personal note to the pontiff.

The Holy See Press Office in a July 5 email described the gathering as a “private audience” with President Bill Clinton and his delegation. It provided photos but no other information.

Clinton thanked Pope Francis for all he has done for the Church and the world, Clinton’s office told CNA.

Former President Bill Clinton and Pope Francis. Vatican Dicastery for Communication
Former President Bill Clinton and Pope Francis. Vatican Dicastery for Communication

After the meeting, Pope Francis greeted the delegation accompanying Clinton. The group included the president’s son-in-law Marc Mezvinsky and Clinton’s one-time Oxford roommate Strobe Talbot, who served as Deputy Secretary of State in the Clinton administration. The current U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, Joe Donnelly, was not present, Clinton’s office said.

CNA sought comment from the Open Society Foundations but did not receive a response by publication.

As CNA previously reported, Open Society Foundations and its aligned groups have funded efforts to legalize abortion in Ireland, Poland, Mexico and other traditionally Catholic countries. The Soros network has also funded efforts to change the political priorities of American Catholics and to pass strongly pro-abortion legislation, such as a Michigan ballot measure to declare abortion a constitutional right.

The foundations’ founder George Soros, who has described himself as a foe of “totalizing, extremist ideologies,” has claimed success in undermining South African apartheid and in liberalizing his home country of Hungary and the Soviet Union itself. The Open Society Foundations give more than $1.5 billion a year to human rights and democracy advocates, among other causes in the U.S. and around the world.

Alex Soros, 37, told the Wall Street Journal last month he is “more political” than his father and he plans to have a larger focus on U.S. domestic politics. Voting rights and abortion rights are among his causes. Soros also heads an Open Society Foundations-aligned political action committee called Democracy PAC, which has about $125 million to spend on domestic U.S. politics.

However, the Open Society Foundations on June 30 announced it will lay off 40% of its approximately 800 employees around the world as part of major changes to its operating model, CNN reports.


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27 Comments

  1. If Jeffrey Epstein were still alive and free he would have visited Francis at the Vatican at least three times by now. Come to think of it, do we know he didn’t? The ways in which Francis has defiled the Church are innumerable. Over a decade of continuous scandal with no end in sight. In fact, the pace is accelerating.

    • Picking up more and more speed on that slippery slope to ungodliness. Looking from a distance, it’s sad and amazing how fast that church is unraveling.

      • We are the church. We must keep our lamps lit especially during these dark times. The Eucharist is still the Eucharist, and we should receive Him often. Perhaps the Lord will return sooner than thought. If not, hold down the fort and pass on the true faith on till we have a more traditional pope. We are not to be orphans.

  2. We read: “However, the Open Society Foundations on June 30 announced it will lay off 40% of its approximately 800 employees around the world as part of major changes to its operating model.”

    Now we understand why Soros came along with Clinton. Soros’ reduced operating model demonstrates to former employees “what the meaning of is, is.”

    • If you watch Vatican Girl on Netflix, they talk about Pope John Paul II using Mafia Money from the Vatican Bank to finance political movements working to bring down the Berlin Wall. This was a shock to me. Why is the Vatican working with organized crime?

  3. Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” The question is, did Pope Francis do anything to help the sinners repent or did the sinners influence the Pope?

      • Indeed, at some point (soon, I hope) we need to begin to ask ourselves whether Our Lady’s statement has become reality. I wonder what a church would look like that has lost the faith, if not one that looks suspiciously like the one we have now. 🤔

  4. While we witness yet another grotesque display of poor judgment (or worse) and other modernist antics, AB Marcel Lefebvre is looking more and more like a true and faithful son of the church.

  5. “The Open Society Foundations give more than $1.5 billion a year to human rights and democracy advocates, among other causes in the U.S. and around the world.” REALLY. WOW.
    “plans to have a larger focus on U.S. domestic politics. Voting rights and abortion rights are among his causes. Soros also heads an Open Society Foundations-aligned political action committee called Democracy PAC, which has about $125 million to spend on domestic U.S. politics.”
    MY MY MY…such a lovely force for good in the world. We will soon see the Third Reich and its system of retirement centers

    • Wouldn’t the Trads love to havi it in their pockets. All extremes play with the same cards. When will we wake up?

    • Does make one wonder what sort of “business” was discussed, what with the two most notorious financiers of evil having tea with the visible Head of the Church.

      Color me apocalyptic.

  6. As Pope Francis withdrew his hand from shaking these world “luminaries”, did he see the blood of countless murdered unborn children dripping from his?

  7. If there was any doubt Pope Francis will be little more than a worn-down speed bump on the well-paved road to One World Government…

    Clinton thanked the Pope for “all he has done for the Church… .” Yes, he and Soros are VERY thankful for that.

  8. Reality or satire?

    Bergoglio names the author of “Heal Me With Your Mouth” to one of the key posts in the Vatican.

    Then less than a week later he meets with Bill Clinton?

    The jokes absolutely write themselves.

    There is no difference between reality and satire any more.

  9. “Clinton thanked Pope Francis for all he has done for the Church…”

    That has to be a misquote.

    I’m sure what he actually said was, “Thank you for all you have done *to* the Church.”

  10. Maybe I’m in denial but is it possible for anyone to be this overtly supportive of evil, that he repeatedly entertains its highest-placed earthly practitioners?

    Is it possible? He’s 86; does he know anything about what’s going on around him? Isn’t it more likely that his entire schedule is managed by support-handlers?

    Anyway, wow, Clinton and Soros. Add Satan and you’d have had a trifecta.

  11. Just unbelievable to see the church brown nosing the devil incarnate soros, who has almost single handed funded the total destruction of every family/society values there ever were. Now leaving us with a totally sick society. Clinton and the other puppets one of the worst terrorist threats the world has ever known as bullyboy usa jackboots its way through every nation on the planet. In his case, along with we its eu/uk ladpogs, bombing the Middle East back into the dark ages from which it has never recovered. RIP all the victims of our very own so called “christian” tyranny inflicted on the world still today……most of whom we never even know their names, and care even less. God Bless them. This is the final nail in the coffin for the catholic church for me.

    Kris Kristofferson –
    Written about Layla Al-Atar, a cherished Iraqi artist who was killed when a missile struck her home, instead of its intended target, a building where a trial was taking place concerning the assassination attempt of George Bush snr. The missiles were fired by the Clinton government
    And for the Argentinean disappeared, Los Olvidados
    Who killed this woman this artist this mother?
    Who broke the candle and snuffed out her light
    Along with her husband and wounded her children
    And sauntered away like a beast in the night?
    “Not I” said the soldier
    “I just follow orders and it was my duty to do my job well”
    “Not I” said the leader who ordered the slaughter
    “Im saddened it happened, but then, war is hell”
    “Not us” said the others who heard of the horror
    Turned a cold shoulder on all that was done
    In all the confusion a single conclusion
    The circle of sorrow has only begun
    And in Argentina…
    Straight to the circle on Sundays
    Down through the canyons they come
    Bearing names of their mothers and daughters
    Names of their fathers and sons
    Stolen away with no warning, never to ever return
    On el Rio del Muerto, All the bridges are burned
    Los desaparecidos, lost in the darkness alone
    Gone from the face of the earth
    With no trace left behind them to mark with a stone
    And the faces of Los Olvidados, only survivors recall
    But for the pain and the heartbreak, did they matter at all?
    Slowly the circle of sadness, spins in the Plaza Mayor
    Lonesome remains of the madness and pain
    In a world gone insane in a war
    And the song of those broken survivors, dancing alone in the dark
    With the silence of Los Olvidados, like a hole in the heart
    Los desaparecidos, lost in the darkness alone
    Gone from the face of the earth
    With no trace left behind them to mark with a stone
    And the faces of Los Olvidados, only survivors recall
    But for the pain and the heartbreak, did they matter at all?

  12. So sad really! Should not the Vatican be spending its precious time fighting for the rights of the unborn? Fighting for the rights of the Church? Spending what little time is available working with other Catholics to return to God and follow his original laws?

    Meetings like these, I think, in the eyes of the regular person, comes across as trying to please the woke, the unfaithful, the ones who work to re-write Gods word and rules. These meetings do not draw the faithful or those who have fallen asleep
    To return to God.
    Please we need faithful servants of God to rush and help the world return to what is good, right & just.
    I pray all see Gods light as it should be and not as what today seems to show

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