Pope Francis Will Not Receive Pompeo in His Visit to Italy

Pope Francis Sunday announced that he will not receive the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who will visit Italy next week, because "that could influence the U.S. election campaign."

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Although in October 2019, The Pope received Pompeo at the Vatican, the Holiness assured that "on this occasion, I will not meet with political personalities amid electoral campaigns to avoid any kind of manipulation."

According to experts, relations between the Vatican and the U.S. have experienced an extraordinary hardening in recent days.

The Pope's refusal came after Washington criticized a China and the Vatican's agreement renewal regarding the appointment of Chinese Catholic bishops.

"Two years ago, the Holy See reached an agreement with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), hoping to help China's Catholics. Yet the CCP’s abuse of the faithful has only gotten worse. " Pompeo tweeted last week.

The Holy See "should renounce to the agreement since it would jeopardize its moral authority," he added.

On September 29 and 30, Pompeo will visit Italy to attend a symposium on the advancement and defense of religious freedom organized by the U.S. Embassy in the European country.