Perhaps most importantly: no touching. Outside of a handshake or a kiss on the papal ring, physical contact is strictly off-limits — unless explicitly invited.
Violating these rules may not constitute legal malpractice, but they can trigger scrutiny akin to breach-of-protocol liability in legal and diplomatic circles.
Vance and the Vatican — A Pattern of Controversy
This latest moment comes on the heels of another controversy involving Vance and the Vatican. In April, during a visit with the late Pope Francis.
Who passed away hours later at age 88 from a stroke—Vance visited the Sistine Chapel and posted pictures from inside.
That alone sparked a wave of criticism, since all photography and electronic devices are strictly prohibited in the chapel, which houses Michelangelo’s famed ceiling murals and serves as the sacred venue for papal conclave.
