Vatican approval lagging on France ambassador said to be gay
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.
The French government is awaiting a response via Vatican diplomatic channels within a week to 10 days, a French official said.
Gay rights groups have accused the Vatican of delaying a decision because of Stefanini’s sexual orientation.
The Vatican traditionally doesn’t approve ambassadors in “nontraditional” family situations, and Catholic teaching holds that gays should be treated with respect but that homosexual acts are “intrinsically disordered.”
Stefanini, 54, is currently chief of protocol at the French presidential palace, held a senior post at the French Embassy to the Vatican from 2001-2005, and served as the French Foreign Ministry’s adviser on religious issues.