Vatican cancels live broadcast of President greeting pope
ROME (AP) — The Vatican on Thursday abruptly canceled the planned live broadcast of U.S. President Joe Biden meeting Pope Francis on Friday, the latest restriction to media coverage of the Holy See.
The live broadcast of Biden's visit was trimmed to cover just the arrival of the president's motorcade in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the revised plan reflected the "normal procedure" established during the coronavirus pandemic for all visiting heads of state or government.
Cancelled was the live coverage of Biden actually greeting Francis in the palace Throne Room, as well as the live footage of the two men sitting down to begin their private talks in Francis' library, at which time the cameras would have stopped running.
The Vatican said it would provide edited footage of the encounter after the fact to accredited media, as it provides for other visiting heads of state. Bruni didn't say why the Vatican had originally announced fuller live coverage only to dial it back on the eve of the visit.
Biden, the second Catholic U.S. president, has met Francis three previous times, but this will be his first as president.
The audience was being closely monitored since U.S. bishops are due to meet in a few weeks for their annual fall convention, with one of the agenda items inspired by conservatives who contend that Biden's support for abortion rights should disqualify him from receiving Communion. Though any document that emerges from the bishops' conference is not expected to mention Biden by name, it's possible there could be a clear message of rebuke.
Francis has strongly upheld the church's opposition to abortion, calling it "murder." But he has said bishops should be pastors, not politicians.
The Vatican has provided live television coverage for the visits of major heads of state for years, including President Donald Trump, and had scheduled such coverage Friday for Biden and for South Korean President Moon Jae-in.