'That's all he wanted': Spicer, a devout Catholic, was snubbed from Trump's big meeting with the pope in May

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Sean Spicer's resignation as White House press secretary on Friday morning came after a sometimes-awkward relationship with President Donald Trump. Notably, Spicer, a devout Catholic, was left out of Trump's meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican in May.

"Wow. That's all he wanted," a source close to the White House told CNN in May. Spicer has spoken publicly about his Catholicism, telling reporters that he gave up alcohol for Lent.

Reports Friday suggested Spicer's resignation was connected to Trump's naming former hedge fund manager Anthony Scaramucci to the position of White House communications director.

Before Trump's meeting with the pope, both sides agreed to limit the number of staffers attending the high-profile encounter, according to CNN, and Trump's entourage included mostly family.

First lady Melania Trump and the president's daughter Ivanka were seen donning matching veils alongside Ivanka Trump's husband, Jared Kushner, the White House senior adviser. A few key communications aides were also present at the meeting, including spokeswoman Hope Hicks and social-media director Dan Scavino, according to Politico.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson; national security adviser H.R. McMaster; Keith Schiller, a deputy assistant; and Brian Hook, a State Department aide; also attended. Reince Priebus, the White House chief of staff, and Stephen Bannon, Trump's chief strategist, had already returned to Washington after an earlier stop in Saudi Arabia.

Reports at the times suggested Trump was mulling a massive staff shake-up after his communications staff, led by Spicer, failed to contain the fallout from Trump's ouster of former FBI Director James Comey.

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