Biden has tense exchange with reporter over Pope Benedict's funeral

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} President Joe Biden on Wednesday said he is staying away from the funeral of the late Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI because his attendance would necessitate a massive and disruptive entourage of security and other personnel. But Mr Biden, who is just the second Catholic chief executive in US history, told reporters he’s not attending because of the burdens his attendance would place on Vatican City due to the large security and support bubble that travels ahead of and with the president. Asked why he wasn’t attending by Owen Jensen, a reporter from Catholic television network ETWN who is known for combative exchanges over abortion with Mr Biden’s press secretaries, the president responded: “You know why.” Pressed to explain further, Mr Biden responded: "The reason I'm not attending the funeral tomorrow is it would take an entourage of a thousand people to show up. On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the official US delegation at Benedict’s funeral would be led by Joe Donnelly, the former Indiana senator who is current US Ambassador to the Holy See.