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US-Vatican diplomacy: 25 years official, centuries behind the scenes
30-05-2009
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- From the earliest days of the nation, U.S. and Vatican leaders have considered it worthwhile to keep diplomatic channels open, despite the sometimes rocky political paths involved.
Through times when the Vatican has served as intermediary between sparring nations, to a diplomatic-channel offer from the United States -- politely rejected -- to find out who might have ordered an assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II, the relationship has often been beneficial to each side, whether the ties were formal or not.
A fortunate bit of timing brought a refresher course in the history of U.S.-Vatican diplomacy to Washington May 28. It was the same day word got out about President Barack Obama's nomination of theology professor Miguel Diaz to be the ninth U.S. ambassador to the Vatican.
A symposium marking the 25th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between the United States and the Holy See had long been scheduled at The Catholic University of America.
Co-sponsors of the symposium were the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the apostolic nunciature, the equivalent of the Vatican's embassy in the United States.
Quoting from a recent journal article he wrote, New York Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan noted that as early as 1783, the Vatican was working through its representative in France to establish contacts in the new country's government.
Though it would be another 200 years before formal diplomatic ties were established, the Vatican persistently kept diplomatic channels open.
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/briefs/cns/20090529.htm
