Pope cancels Pompeo meeting as China bishops deal up for renewal

Vatican tells the US that meeting before November presidential election might be seen as sign of support for Donald Trump, Italian newspaper reports

But US secretary of state’s call for a tougher line on the Holy See’s agreement with Beijing might also be a factor, observer says

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Pope Francis has cancelled a planned meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:45pm, 28 Sep 2020Updated: 8:13pm, 29 Sep 2020

Pope Francis has cancelled a meeting with the US’ top diplomat as the Vatican prepares to renew a deal on the appointment of Catholic bishops in China.

The Holy See told US diplomats that the Pope’s planned meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had to be cancelled because it might be seen as a sign of support for US President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign, Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported on Sunday.

But Pompeo’s criticism of the Vatican’s continued talks with Beijing might have also been a factor, according to José Miguel Encarnação, a Macau-based commentator on religious affairs.

“This is not the best time for the Pope to receive someone from the Trump administration. If there wasn’t an election, he would find another reason [to not meet Pompeo],” Encarnação said.

In an article in the US religious journal First Things on September 18, Pompeo urged the Vatican to take a tougher line on the two-year provisional agreement it signed with Beijing in 2018 to allow each side to recognise the other’s appointment of bishops.

The comments were published just days before the deal was due to expire.

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