ROME — Pope Francis has expressed rare public irritation with the flamboyant Mayor of Rome, Ignazio Marino, saying “I didn’t invite Marino, okay” on his recent trip to the United States. 

  “I asked the organisers and even they didn’t invite him”  the unusually miffed pontiff added on the return flight to Rome in response to questions from journalists about the first citizen cordially loathed by most Romans for his failure to address issues such as waste collection, potholes in the road, vile bus services and other appalling public services in the Eternal City. 

  The Campidoglio claims that “the Mayor has never said that he was invited by the pope to the concluding events of the Eight World Meeting of Families”, and that rather, Marino’s trip to Philadelphia to join the pontiff at this event “stemmed from a series of meetings with US authorities”. 

  Even before he departed for the US, however Marino’s latest trip was the subject of contention, with his predecessor Gianni Alemanno claiming that Marino was using the pope’s visit as “an excuse to do another runner to the US.”

  Marino’s justification was that his presence in the United States was “to help Rome” by raising funds for the restoration of city monuments. He said his travel costs weren’t paid for by Italian citizens, but rather by Philadelphia city authorities.

  This incident brought into the open the mounting tension between the pope and Marino, partly due to Marino’s vocal support of gay marriage but also because of the mayor's shameless courting of public appearances with Francis including leaping on the popemobile in St Peter's Square and taking a selfie of the two without prior warning to fuming Vatican security men. 

  This display of friction is significant because of the upcoming Jubilee of Mercy from Dec. 8 to Nov. 20, 2016. Millions of tourists will descend on Rome, meaning that the Vatican will rely all the more on the hapless Marino for logistical help. 

  Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has expressed dissatisfaction with Marino's antics but insists Rome is stuck with the bearded doctor and his died hair until after the Jubilee.