“President Emmanuel Macron’s papal audience, which touched on several current issues, was primarily significant for the religious symbolism of the day. The Vatican said the “private” discussion covered “protection of the environment, migration, and multilateral commitment to conflict prevention and resolution, especially in relation to disarmament,” as well as prospects for resolving conflicts in the Middle East and Africa and the future of Europe. Macron said they had also touched on abortion rights and same-sex marriage, and “the place of Catholicism” in France…
“The American media highlighted that Macron met the Pope for longer than President Obama, and for twice as long as President Trump, but Macron noted “we didn’t look at our watches, which may explain why it lasted so long, that’s what it’s like when you have an intense discussion.” This led to the lateness of the main symbolic act of the day. The Papal Archbasilica of St John Lateran, cathedral church of the Diocese of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome, installed Macron as ex officio the “first and only honorary canon” of the basilica.
“The title is offered to every President of the French Republic and predates the modern presidency, originally going back to 1482 and King Louis XI. The tradition was renewed in 1604 when King Henry IV, having renounced Protestantism, donated the Benedictine Abbey in Clairac along with its income to the basilica. The title was created as a token of gratitude. Each December 13, Henry IV’s birthday, the honour is marked by a Mass celebrated at the basilica for the “happiness and prosperity of France.”
“The symbolism of Macron’s acceptance is that it builds on his notable April speech at the Collège des Bernadins in Paris, which was significant in its tenor of rapprochement in state and church relations. In the speech, Macron set out his view: “As Head of State, I am the guarantor of the freedom to believe and not believe, but I am neither the inventor nor the promoter of a State religion which substitutes divine transcendence with a Republican creed.”
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