Bill O’Reilly shook hands with Pope Francis on Wednesday as reports accumulated of the host’s imminent ouster from Fox News amid reports of sexual harassment.
A photographer for L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican’s semi-official paper, captured the moment in a photo first flagged by the New York Times.
O’REILLY WITH THE POPE https://t.co/a63sXyMZN9 https://t.co/19jgji1UYR pic.twitter.com/h0UWLirq6G
— Hadas Gold (@Hadas_Gold) April 19, 2017
According to the New York Times, O’Reilly met Francis during the pope’s weekly general audience, where he sat in an exclusive section near the dais holding Francis’ throne. The Vatican press office told the Times that seating in that section is reserved for those with special tickets distributed by the prefecture of the papal household.
The Vatican said last week, per the Times report, that Francis did not have an official audience scheduled with O’Reilly and would not hold one.
The Fox host is on his longest spring vacation in at least 10 years amid allegations of sexual harassment and questions about his future at the network which appear to be rapidly evolving into exit negotiations.
