A senior Vatican official told the Wall Street Journal that they are concerned photos taken of Pope Francis near the controversial guests "could be interpreted as an endorsement of their activities."
Perhaps the Pope should send his own message and cancel the meeting.
When the Pope arrives at the White House Wednesday, some of his greeters will include "Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Anglican bishop who's now a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a think-tank with ties to the Democratic Party, and Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of the Catholic social justice lobby Network, and a leader of the 'Nuns on the Bus' advocacy tours," reports the Associated Press.
Poor marks for Vatican insiders and intelligence experts who failed to anticipate the inevitable political and social exploitation.