No doubt in an effort to woo Catholic voters by trying to appear as if Pope Francis was friendly with the Trump administration, secretary of state Mike Pompeo attended a conference on religious freedom organized by the US embassy to the Vatican. But Vatican officials not only declined to take part in the event held on its very doorstep, the pope declined to even meet with Pompeo.
A top Vatican official has accused Donald Trump’s administration of exploiting Pope Francis in the final stages of the US presidential election campaign.
The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, spoke at a conference on religious freedom on Wednesday organised by the US embassy to the Holy See during his visit to Italy.
When the Italian news agency Ansa asked Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states, if the US unilaterally organising the event amounted to exploitation of the pope in the run-up to the elections, he replied: “Yes, that is precisely why the pope will not meet American secretary of state Mike Pompeo.”
Here’s a joke I made up.
Q: Why does Trump not respect the pope?
A: Because he heard that Francis named himself after Assissi.
That’s all, folks! I’ll be here all week. And the following week. And the following week ..
“Here’s a joke I made up”
Don’t give up your… oh. Never mind.
Not a bad joke.
And yes, clearly, the Pope (the Pontiff!) is a politician, too.
A head of State, even.
(The sovereign city-state of Vatican City, thanks to Benito Mussolini)
One night, the head of the College of Cardinals get a panicked phone call from the Swiss Guard.
“Come quick!” says the guard, “The pope has gone crazy!”
So the cardinal races from his quarters to the papal apartments just in time to see Pope Francis careen past on a single wheel, bouncing off the walls and furniture, and knocking priceless antiques to the floor as he goes.
“No, your excellency!” the cardinal calls after him, “We suggested that you should write an encyclical!”
I found this one.
The Pope and Donald Trump are standing in front of a large crowd.
The Pope says to Trump, “Do you know that with one little wave of my hand I can make every person in this crowd go wild with joy? This joy will not be a momentary display, like that of your followers, but go deep into their hearts and for the rest of their lives whenever they speak of this day, they will rejoice!”
Trump replies, “I seriously doubt that, with one wave of your hand? Show me!”
So the Pope slapped him.
.. Because he’s got to hang out with Cardinal Pell. Who has been quietly acquitted after being noisily convicted. [I intend to post on the acquittal, but there’s a whole lot of complicated legal bafflegab to sort through, which is probably the point of why there is so much of it]
@WMDKitty, that’s excellent.
Not about Cheetolini, but….
The pope goes on a “good will” tour of Northern Ireland. While there, his shoe breaks. He sees two shoemakers near each other, one a catholic and one a protestant. He goes to the protestant to avoid looking sectarian.
The next day, the protestant shoemaker puts upa sign: “Cobblers to the pope!”
The day after, the catholic shoemaker puts up a sign: “Bollocks to the archbishop of Canterbury!”
A lawyer goes to heaven and finds himself at the back of a long queue of Popes.
Suddenly, St. Peter grabs him and takes him straight through the pearly gates.
“I don’t understand” the lawyer said puzzled. “There’s hundreds of Popes waiting in line and you’ve let me in before them. Why?”
“Sir,” said St. Peter. “We’ve had lots of Popes here. But, you are our FIRST lawyer.”