No Rice for the Pope

The US Secretary of State at the funeral of Pope John Paul II

UPDATE: Sources at the Vatican have said that it was absolutely not the pope's intention to snub the U.S. Secretary of State. Well... did anyone expect them to say that it HAD been the pope's intention to snub Ms. Rice?

SottoVoce at Clerical Whispers offers the BBC report that Vatican sources have said that Pope Benedict XVI declined an opportunity this summer to meet with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

From the BBC:

Pope Benedict XVI refused a recent request by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to discuss the Middle East and Iraq, Vatican sources say.

The Pope refused a request for an audience during the August holidays.

Senior Vatican sources told the BBC the Pope does not normally receive politicians on his annual holiday at the Castelgandolfo residence near Rome.

But one leading Italian newspaper said it was an evident snub by the Vatican towards the Bush administration.

(Full BBC report here)