Report: Vatican declines to approve French ambassador’s nomination over homosexuality

April 10, 2015

In January, the French government appointed Laurent Stefanini as its ambassador to the Holy See, but three months later, the Vatican has not approved the appointment—leading to European media reports that the lack of approval stems from Stefanini’s homosexuality.

Le Monde and Corriere della Sera reported that Cardinal André Vingt-Trois of Paris interceded with Pope Francis on behalf of the nomination of Stefanini, a former official of the French embassy at the Vatican. La Croix reported that Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the former Vatican foreign minister who now serves as president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, also supports the appointment.

However, according to Le Monde, Pope Francis has decided to “freeze the dossier,” while La Croix reported that French President François Hollande maintained his support for Stefanini in a recent private conversation.

 

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Further information:

• Le pape bloque la nomination d’un ambassadeur de France gay (Le Monde)
• L’Élysée maintient son « candidat » à l’ambassade près le Saint-Siège (La Croix)
• Vaticano, l’accusa dei media francesi: «Ambasciatore rifiutato perché gay» (Corriere della Sera)