FRANCE/VATICAN CITY
Daily Reporter
By SYLVIE CORBET and NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press
First Posted: June 02, 2015
PARIS — The French government is expecting the Vatican to decide within days whether to approve the nomination of a respected diplomat who is said to be gay as French ambassador to the Holy See.
Paris is hoping that Laurent Stefanini wins approval five months after the French presidential palace submitted his nomination. The French government is awaiting a response via Vatican diplomatic channels within a week to 10 days, a French official told The Associated Press.
The Vatican spokesman declined to comment.
Gay rights groups have accused the Vatican of delaying a decision because of Stefanini’s sexual orientation. Such decisions normally take just a few weeks.
The No. 2 official at the Vatican, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said last week, “The dialogue is still open and we hope that it might conclude in a positive light.” It is the only thing the Vatican has said on the record about the nomination.
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