Headlines
France hopes Vatican will accept gay ambassador
Paris, April 11
Three months after the
appointment of Laurent Stefanini as the French ambassador to the
Vatican, the French authorities are still awaiting approval from the
Holy See in a delay thought to be due to the diplomat's sexual
orientation, diplomatic officials told Efe news agency.
"Stefanini
was appointed ambassador because he is an excellent diplomat who has
all the qualities for the position. We expect the response to our
request for consent," French officials said on Friday, the sole comment
on the controversy.
The position, as the newspaper Le Monde
recalled this week, has been vacant since early March, when the former
French representative to the Vatican, Bruno Joubert, returned to the
country.
"Stefanini knows Rome. The 55-year-old current chief of
protocol in the Elysee was number two in the embassy 2001-2005," noted
Le Monde.
The Apostolic Nuncio in Paris, according to sources,
has not officially pronounced but has made it known that this candidacy
is unlikely to be accepted by the Papal services despite the support
received from the Archbishop of Paris.
Italian officials remarked
to the Le Parisien newspaper that the three-month period is abnormal,
that the process usually lasts no more than six weeks.
"Traditionally,
the Vatican does not object. Does not answer, does not explain, and the
other country would be concerned with interpreting this lack of
response," concluded the Le Parisien, reminding that the choice of
Stefanini had the backing of both President Francois Hollande and the
council of ministers.