▁greatest ▁and ▁most ▁beautiful ▁civil izations ▁the ▁world ▁has ▁known " ▁at ▁a ▁speech ▁in ▁R iy ad h ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁Both ▁comments ▁drew ▁criticism . ▁ ▁S ark o zy ▁visited ▁Pope ▁Bened ict ▁XVI ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁and ▁formally ▁received ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁Honor ary ▁Ch ano ine ▁of ▁the ▁Bas il ica ▁of ▁St . ▁John ▁Later an , ▁which ▁is ▁automatically ▁con ferred ▁to ▁each ▁French ▁President . ▁ ▁On ▁his ▁visit ▁to ▁the ▁Pope , ▁S ark o zy ▁was ▁accompanied ▁by ▁French ▁com ed ian ▁Jean - Marie ▁Big ard , ▁was ▁late , ▁and ▁text - mess aged ▁during ▁the ▁audience . ▁This ▁behaviour ▁has ▁led ▁some ▁people ▁to ▁advance ▁that ▁he ▁is ▁not ▁cult ured ▁enough ▁to ▁be ▁in ▁office . ▁ ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁vac ations ▁▁ ▁S ark o zy ▁then ▁went ▁in ▁vac ation ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁taking ▁his ▁family ▁to ▁Lake ▁W inn ipes au kee ▁in ▁New ▁Ham pshire . ▁He ▁was ▁expected ▁to ▁stay ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 1 - b ath room ▁shore front ▁m ansion ▁of ▁former ▁Microsoft ▁executive ▁Michael ▁App e . ▁However , ▁he ▁interrupted ▁his ▁vac ation ▁for ▁a ▁one - day ▁trip ▁to ▁France ▁after ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Card inal ▁L ust iger , ▁former ▁arch bishop ▁of ▁Paris , ▁whose ▁fun eral ▁he ▁was ▁to ▁attend . ▁A ▁president ial ▁plane ▁fle w