The White House is to host Pope Francis during his visit to the United States. There’s just one problem. The Vatican has issues with the guest list. Among others, it wants Bishop Gene Robinson disinvited. (Shades of Gafcon’s demand yesterday to determine who is invited to the Primates Meeting called by the Archbishop of Canterbury.)
The Wall Street Journal reports (may be gated):
On the eve of Pope Francis’s arrival in the U.S., the Vatican has taken offense at the Obama administration’s decision to invite to the pope’s welcome ceremony transgender activists, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop and an activist nun who leads a group criticized by the Vatican for its silence on abortion and euthanasia.
According to a senior Vatican official, the Holy See worries that any photos of the pope with these guests at the White House welcoming ceremony next Wednesday could be interpreted as an endorsement of their activities.
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Bishop Gene Robinson, who has also been invited to the pope’s welcoming ceremony, is a former Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire and the first openly gay Episcopal bishop in the U.S.
Photo credit: Reuters