Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer finally got to meet Pope Francis this week after he was excluded from a meeting with the head of the Catholic Church in May.
America Magazine, a Catholic publication, reported Tuesday that Spicer was in attendance at the International Catholic Legislators Network at the Vatican on Sunday.
Administration officials reportedly blocked Spicer, who resigned on July 21, from attending a White House delegation's meeting with Pope Francis in May. Numerous other White House aides were in attendance.
“That's all he wanted," an unnamed White House official told CNN in May, calling Spicer's exclusion a snub.
Reporters who often sparred with Spicer said they felt sorry for him. New York Times White House correspondent called Spicer’s exclusion “needlessly harsh.”
This seems needlessly harsh - when else is Spicer likely to meet the Pope, and it mattered to him? https://t.co/jUtcTW8wbg— Maggie Haberman (@Maggie Haberman) 1495655467.0
But Spicer, a devout Catholic, finally got his chance to meet the pope. Photographs published by the Vatican’s newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, showed Spicer speaking with Francis.
News: Snubbed back in May, Sean Spicer finally had a chance to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican. My story: https://t.co/2E5lKpLNRypic.twitter.com/57s6tMnUHo
— Michael J O'Loughlin (@MikeOLoughlin) August 29, 2017
It's an August recess miracle! Sean Spicer -- snubbed in May -- finally met Pope Francis https://t.co/XTpl54ve0dpic.twitter.com/yJ4vAbzowc
— Ed Hornick (@edhornick) August 29, 2017
In case you were interested in some oddly uplifting news: Spicey finally got to meet the Pope. https://t.co/H0ETp6vqtD
— Caroline McCarthy (@caro) August 29, 2017
According to Vatican Radio, Francis told lawmakers at the gathering to heed the church’s “moral and social teachings in order to build a more humane and just society.”
“The laws that you promulgate and apply ought to build bridges between different political perspectives: even when they respond to precise ends ordered to the promotion of greater care for the defenseless and the marginalized, especially the many who are constrained to leave their countries; and when they are in order to favor a correct human and natural ecology,” he said.
Spicer was open about his Catholic faith during his time at the White House and during his previous role at the Republican National Committee. He was once mocked on Twitter for wearing ashes on his forehead during a CNN interview on Ash Wednesday.
According to Politico, Spicer’s official last day at the White House is Aug. 31.
Matt Walsh offers to respond to Rolling Stone's comment request on one condition: 'I will provide a comment for your hit piece if you can define the word 'woman'"