“On Thursday, the Vatican created a stir by suddenly canceling the live broadcast of President Biden meeting with Pope Francis without providing an explanation. The Holy See has implemented a restrictive media environment, including bans on independent media access in certain areas of the Vatican. As the Washington Post reported on Thursday, the live broadcast was severely restricted.
This is relevant because the limited access for the media that the Vatican has imposed, attributing it to the pandemic, has created an atmosphere where rumors can go flying. The Washington Post account is worth considering before delving into whether or not a Biden ‘bathroom accident’ became an issue at the meeting with the Pope.
The Vatican on Thursday abruptly canceled the planned live broadcast of U.S. President Joe Biden meeting Pope Francis, the latest restriction to media coverage of the Holy See that sparked complaints from White House- and Vatican-accredited journalists.
The live broadcast of Biden’s Friday 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.
That protocol also has meant an 18-month ban on any independent media being in the room for the beginning and end of the audience, as would normally be the case for a visiting head of state.
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.
All jokes about the ‘Throne Room’ aside, it is significant that the change of plans for Biden’s trip came suddenly and without explanation.
“The Vatican said it would provide edited footage of the encounter after the fact to accredited media,” the WaPo report added, significantly. “Bruni didn’t say why the Vatican had originally announced fuller live coverage only to dial it back on the eve of the visit.”