On Wednesday, May 24,, the US president will land in Rome from Israel. Appointed Callista Gingrich Ambassador to the Holy See.
At 8.30 am on Wednesday, May 24, two Americans will be shaking hands for the first time. President Donald Trump’s audience with the Argentinian Pope has been a big maybe for a few months as, up until three weeks ago, no request was made by the White House. Indeed, rumors had that Trump had actually decided to defer. Rumors that hit the spot. What changed things was the patient work of some of the President’s advisors along with some precise signals coming from the Vatican.
Who maneuvered since the beginning to foster contact, in agreement with the nuncio in the US, Christoph Pierre, and the Vatican Secretariat, was Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington. The path to the first unofficial approach with the new administration has gone through the evangelical world and precisely in the context of the National Prayer Breakfast, of which Vice President Mike Pence is an active member. This is why the chairman of the Renewing Spiritual Movement, the Italian Salvatore Martinez, who knows that world really well, has traveled several times to the USA to help breaking literally the ice. The two key figures, among Trump’s advisers, are the Evangelical Priests Jay Strack and Paula White.
On March 13, the decisive meeting, with the nuncio and Cardinal Wuerl, at the Washington Nunciature took place. Meeting attended also by some of Trump’s advisers. The Holy See lets know that the Pope is ready to endorse the audience. However, the White House tenant, engaged on various national and international fronts, does not seem interested. Until April 19 when his spokesman Sean Spicer announces: “We will contact the Vatican” to organize an audience. Shortly after, the Deputy Secretary of State Angelo Becciu, states that Francis is “always available to welcome heads of State who apply for audiences.” At the time, the United States had not yet appointed the ambassador to the Holy See, (Callista Gingrich was appointed only last Saturday). Even on this, however, precise signals come from the Vatican: it is not a problem.
Nevertheless, for another ten days, the phone does not ring. It is now April 29, when the Pope returning from Egypt reiterates: “I will receive every head of state who asks for an audience,” adding that until then there had been no requests.
After yet another green light, at the beginning of May, the White House phone call comes along with a formal written request. Also Trump launches some signals: the meeting with Francis is on the agenda and comes after the US President‘s visits to Saudi Arabia and Israel. The President is going to the Vatican to meet a religious leader more than a head of state, after visiting the allies of the Muslim and Jewish world. Trump is preparing to listen to the Pontiff, for example: he did not want to study any dossiers, as it is done for other meetings with Heads of State; his collaborators are finishing a video to show him who Francis is.
After the sparks of February 2016, when the Pope had said, “A person who only thinks of building walls is not Christian,” the Vatican’s tones have lowered down. Francis has no longer let himself be dragged into controversy. On the papal flight from Fatima, he said, “I never make a judgment on a person without listening to them.” Positions are radically different, from the issue of immigration to the defense of the environment. The Vatican hopes that the US can foster peace in the Middle East and increase aid to poor countries. Unpredictable Trump will face an open, frank interlocutor willing to listen to him. Projections are difficult to make.
