The French president's slew of meetings with top cardinals and high-level officials of the Catholic Church on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral at the Vatican last Saturday has caused a stir in Italy, with speculation rife that he might be attempting to influence the selection of the next pontiff, Borgia-style.
In what the Italian press dubbed "interventionism of the modern Sun King," Emmanuel Macron held a meeting at the French embassy in Rome with four compatriots who will be present at the conclave: Archbishop of Marseille Jean-Marc Aveline, Bishop of Ajaccio François Bustillo, Apostolic Nuncio to the US Christophe Pierre and Archbishop Emeritus of Lyon Philippe Barbarin.
