The Pope will therefore go to Ajaccio, but not to Paris, in December. The Vatican confirmed Francis' visit to the Isle of Beauty on December 15, a week after the ceremony in Paris celebrating the end of the work on Notre-Dame. This choice of the sovereign pontiff seems hard to understand for the French president.
Officially, there has never been any falling out between the two, but among those close to Emmanuel Macron, it is difficult to digest this decision “incomprehensible” for some, “offbeat” for others. So some bring up several explanations: that the Pope does not like worldly affairs, that he feels more useful elsewhere, that his agenda was already full…
Others speak frankly of a disenchantment with France, for a president who does not respect the codes during their tête-à-tête, for a clergy who prefers being among themselves to being open to others, for a political class not really aligned with its convictions on ethical or migratory matters… In short, the list of potential grievances against Church's eldest daughter is quite long. The truth probably lies in the middle of all this.
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