Vatican Denies Pompeo Audience With Pope

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo requested an audience with Pope Francis this week, but was denied by Vatican officials. I’m sure the Pope is just really busy this week. Or something.

Two officials for the Vatican announced Wednesday that Pope Francis had denied U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s request for an audience, and shared concerns Pompeo’s visit would be an effort to get the Vatican to denounce China ahead of a deal between the Vatican and Beijing.

In fairness, it’s not the Vatican’s job to address human rights issues…

The Vatican’s two top diplomats, Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Foreign Minister Archbishop Paul Gallagher told Reuters that Pope Francis had denied the request for a meeting as part of a Vatican policy to avoid meeting politicians ahead of elections. Both officials said they were also surprised by remarks Pompeo made at an event hosted by the U.S. embassy to the Holy See, in which he denounced China’s record on religious freedom ahead of Vatican plans to renew an agreement with Beijing on the selection of Chinese bishops.

China literally created concentration, er, “re-education” camps for Muslims, but I guess this pales in comparison with the selection of Chinese bishops.

Parolin, explaining the decision to deny Pompeo’s meeting request, said, “Yes, [Pompeo] asked. But the pope had already said clearly that political figures are not received in election periods. That is the reason.”

Hmm, that’s interesting, because I’m fairly certain there will be Chinese political figures running the agreement with the Vatican.

You know, I am arguably the worst Catholic in America, but if there’s one thing I do know, it’s this: Pope Francis is a leftist who is cares more about keeping Catholics “woke” than he is about atrocious human rights violations.

U.S. Recognizes Israeli Settlements

The Trump administration, arguably the most Israeli-friendly presidency ever – has rolled back Barack Obama’s policy claiming Israeli settlements on the West Bank were “illegal.”

The fact that every leftist media outlet is screaming about this decision means the president is doing the right thing.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Monday that the U.S. had reversed the policy of Presidents Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama, who declared Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria (the “West Bank”) illegal.

Israel took over the region during the Six Day War in June 1967, after Jordan, ignoring pleas from Israel to stay out of the unfolding war with Egypt and Syria, began shelling western Jerusalem. Israel’s counter-attack was victorious.

Jordan was told to stay out of the fight, and when they refused, Israel steamrolled them. Jordan lost the war, and lost some of their territory. Case closed.

Though the area is commonly described as “occupied,” Israel has long maintained that the territory is actually “disputed,” since Jordan had no sovereign right to the territory. If anything, Israel has a superior legal claim, resting on the Balfour Declaration on 1917 and the subsequent League of Nations approval of the British Mandate, which included provision for a Jewish National Home in Palestine. Palestinians also claim the area for their future state.

Jordan occupied the area in 1948, then decided to “annex it” two years later. By that logic, Jordan has as much right to the West Bank as Australia, Slovakia, or Peru.

The Trump administration has done much to reverse Barack Obama’s ridiculous policies, and the fact the president dotes on Israel must make King Putt furious.