Spicer gets his audience with the pope
Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer finally got an audience with the pope, after being cut out of a White House delegation with the Holy Father in May.
Spicer returned to Rome over the weekend as part of a group of legislators and politicians affiliated with the International Catholic Legislators Network who met with Pope Francis at the Vatican.
Spicer, who resigned on July 21, has remained in the White House to help with the transition for his successor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. His last day is slated for August 31.
The Vatican’s newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, published photographs of Spicer meeting the pope with his family, as did the Vatican Radio Facebook page. The news of Spicer’s visit was initially reported by America, a Jesuit magazine.
Spicer did not respond to a request for comment.
A devout Catholic, he told reporters ahead of President Donald Trump’s meeting with the pope during his Vatican visit that he was looking forward to meeting the pope and had brought rosary beads to be blessed.
White House officials subsequently said the Vatican had asked them to limit the number of people in the delegation. Longtime Trump aides Hope Hicks, Dan Scavino and Keith Schiller were among those included, as were national security adviser H.R. McMaster, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and Tillerson aides Brian Hook and Margaret Peterlin.
Spicer announced his resignation after Anthony Scaramucci was brought on as communications director. Scaramucci was ousted less than 10 days later.
Spicer, who went on CNN during the campaign with ashes on his forehead on Ash Wednesday, often spoke about his Catholic faith during news briefings. He once told reporters that he had given up drinking alcohol for Lent.
Annie Karni contributed to this report.