Emmanuel Macron is accused by Italian media of trying to sway the papal conclave to favor French cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline ahead of the May 7 vote at the Vatican.
French President Emmanuel Macron is facing accusations from conservative Italian media outlets of attempting to sway the upcoming papal conclave in favor of a French candidate, in a bid to restore France's influence at the Vatican.
The claims emerged following a series of meetings Macron held in Rome with key figures ahead of the May 7 conclave to choose a successor to the late Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21.
According to Italian daily Il Tempo, Macron met with four out of five French cardinal electors during a private lunch last Saturday, including Jean-Marc Aveline, Archbishop of Marseille, who is widely seen as a potential papal contender. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Pope's funeral.
Macron also reportedly had dinner on Friday with Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Community of Sant'Egidio, a prominent Catholic lay organization with over 70,000 members across 74 countries. The group is believed to have considerable influence over several cardinal electors.
Il Tempo claimed the French president "asked the cardinals about ways to build a consensus around Aveline," describing the Marseille archbishop as "an ultra-European, anti-sovereignist" and "one of the most liberal" figures in the College of Cardinals. The paper described Macron's approach as "interventionism worthy of a new Sun King," referencing Louis XIV's historic efforts to manipulate papal succession through French influence.
Another outlet, La Verità, directly accused Macron of "seeking to choose the next Pope." (more...)
Macron accused of lobbying for French papal candidate
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