Global Affairs Canada refused to comment on self-published writings by Neil Macdonald, a former CBC reporter and spouse of Canada's Ambassador to the Vatican. Blacklock’s reported that Macdonald, as a VIP attendee at Pope Francis' funeral, mocked the ceremony.

Global Affairs spokesperson, Brittany Fletcher, clarified that Macdonald, husband of Ambassador Joyce Napier, is not an employee but is considered a "spouse and partner." As such, he is eligible for pre-posting training and subject to conflict of interest rules.

The former CBC reporter self-published commentaries on Substack, requesting financial contributions from readers. He did not respond to a media inquiry from Blacklock’s.

In an April 26 commentary, Macdonald mocked Pope Francis' funeral. "It is easy to mock such [a] ceremony," he wrote. "The outfits, the language, the incense, the deliberation, the logic of priestly celibacy."

Macdonald expressed "indifference" to the funeral mass. "But there it is," he wrote. "You buy it or you don't."

"You would have to be incurious or dull not to realize the history and tradition weighing just about every word uttered and every gesture made at the Vatican," wrote Macdonald. "That it has no effect whatsoever on me is increasingly a source of fretting and worry."

Macdonald attended the funeral with his wife. The two sat "remarkably close" to the late Pope's coffin in St. Peter's Square, though he is not a Roman Catholic. 

In election commentary, Macdonald ridiculed Conservative voters as "rumpy-Trumpy" and questioned if Hitler's media relations were worse than Pierre Poilievre's in an election commentary. The Department of Foreign Affairs declined to comment.

"Seriously, I remain fascinated by what the pro-Poilievre, pro-Convoy, pro-MAGA, anti-woke, anti-government, anti-trans, anti-World Economic Forum, anti-migrant, anti-electric cars, anti-diversity, anti-all sorts of other things cohort is thinking this morning," Macdonald wrote in a self-published essay on April 29 following the general election. 

In an April 23 commentary, the former CBC reporter wrote that stories about Poilievre and Trump's treatment of mainstream media have become common, suggesting both figures "control journalists," even drawing Hitler comparisons.

Macdonald also commented on Canada's work ethic, stating it was "less productive" than America, and described Canada's regulatory and tax environment as daunting. He did not clarify if his views represented those of the Ambassador or the Department of Foreign Affairs.

"Trump says America doesn't need what Canada has? Really? Fine," wrote Macdonald. "Slap an export tax on Canadian potash and let American corn farmers look elsewhere for the crucial fertilizer they cannot do without."

"How about electricity from Québec and Ontario?" he continued. "Perhaps the Americans can just ramp up their nuclear reactors and produce more of their own. Oh, wait, they'd need Canadian uranium for that, wouldn't they?"

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