On June 9, President George Bush of the USA will visit Rome and meet Pope Benedict XVI. The US ambassador to the Holy See, Francis Rooney, agreed to sit down with Inside the Vatican correspondent Serena Sartini to discuss his expectations for the upcoming meeting. The interview touches on a possible visit by Benedict to the United States, the UN, and Ground Zero, and the general status of the relationship between the United States and the Holy See. The interview also touches on the war in Iraq and conflict in Lebanon.
INSIDE THE VATICAN: What is the current status of relations between the Holy See and the United States?
FRANCIS ROONEY: I think the whole world wanted to see what kind of papacy Pope Benedict would lead, and how it might depart from that of Pope John Paul II. And for us here, we have a vital interest in his priorities, in the changes that he has made. We meet with the Secretariat of State officials quite often, with Archbishop Mamberti and others, and we have become acquainted with them. And we certainly have great interest in the Holy Father's views, and expressions of concern, about Islamic fundamentalism, and the remarks he has made about the role of reason in religion, and the possible ramifications of nuances of those expressions for the world, and in terms of how to seek moderation and tolerance – for all religions – so that we can get along a little better. That seems to me to be one of the major points of priority for the Holy Father. He has spoken quite a lot about terrorism, on religion and reason, and about how all that has implications for Europe. Our country is interested in what the Holy Father has to say in these things, especially the ones that affect freedom; and the interpretation of religious fundamentalism certainly affects freedoms. As we are seeing in various parts of the world, freedoms are compromised by extremists, and that's not good. And the Holy Father, as one of the leading moral authorities in the world, has shown that he has a great role to play and a great impact on how the world views these issues. So we're fortunate to be here, to learn and to interact with the Holy See as they exercise moral authority in the world.
ITV: What are the areas in which the Holy See and the U.S. can work together?
ROONEY: Well, certainly we have the incessant quest for religious freedom. In some Asian countries like China and Vietnam, the president has spoken up about the need for true religious freedom. The Holy See is equally engaged in the pursuit if expanding opportunities for the Catholic Church in China. That's an area of symmetry. The Holy See pursues its interests and we pursue ours, but there is a symmetry in the sense that we are both going down the same road, side by side. The Holy See has been supportive of our nation-building and community-building efforts in Iraq. There's been a lot of disturbing news in Iraq, but there are also a lot of positive things that have been coming out of Iraq in terms of the building of a nation, the building of communities. And the Holy Father has spoken out for peace in Iraq and for building a nation, building a community. I think we all have a lot of shared objectives in Lebanon: a return to peace, freedom for people of all religions, and the balance that has existed in the past in that area where Christians could coexist with Muslims, and coexist peacefully with Israel next door. And we have similar interests there. We certainly have similar interests in the pursuit of human dignity, in trying to improve the lives of people who are either too poor or too sick in a world of so many riches. That is certainly an issue in Africa. The Church is a huge presence in Africa, in the delivery of care to AIDS patients, and pastoral care. And of course, we have a huge program; it is called the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). President Bush has just called on Congress to provide $30 billion toward battling the global AIDS crisis over the first five years after he leaves office – a doubling of the current U.S. commitment. The program's original five-year mandate, which provided for $15 billion in U.S. funding, will expire in September 2008. So again there's a point of symmetry between the Holy See's efforts and the United States' efforts. In fact, we hosted a conference in December which featured Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, highlighting the role of the Good Samaritan Foundation and the good work that they do, and highlighting the President's program for AIDS in Africa. We have a common agenda in many areas.
There are some leaders in Latin America who are displaying repressive tendencies, as in Venezuela. And we have some common interests there, to see that the people of Venezuela have the right to move about freely, and to practice their religion, and express themselves freely. I think we share that with the Holy See.
ITV: But, both Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI spoke against the intervention in Iraq. Does this create a tension in your relations?
ROONEY: It's not news that the Holy See opposed the Iraq war. But, when I got here, we had already been involved in the Iraq war for some time, and the feeling I felt, and that which has been expressed to me, is that while they certainly opposed the entry into the war, they are for the preservation and the improvement, and the raising up of human dignity in Iraq, and the building of a peaceful country where people can go about their lives and practice religion. And to that end, they are supportive of our efforts to build up the country. The Holy Father spoke up a little bit during the Easter Blessing about the continuing violence in Iraq. Of course, everybody deplores the continuing violence, and many countries in the coalition are working hard to stem it.
ITV: Is America in Iraq to make war, or to make peace?
ROONEY: We went in to Iraq to remove a heinous dictator who was perpetuating evil throughout that part of the world, and to try to give the Iraqi people an opportunity to build a new country. And that's still the primary goal. The president certainly expresses it much better than I could, but those are the over- riding objectives. And I think the Holy See understands that, and is supportive of both things. The level of violence, to which the Holy Father addressed himself at Easter, is indisputable, but there are many positive things happening in Iraq too, which are not always quite described in the media so graphically.
ITV: On June 9, President Bush will meet the Pope for the first time. So what do you expect from this meeting?
ROONEY: Obviously, we are excited to have the President meet the Holy Father. I think that says a lot about the importance of the relationship between the Holy See and the United States, and the great esteem that the President has for the Holy Father as one of the moral leaders of the world. This is a big thing for us here. I think the President will talk about these fundamental areas of broad policy where we have such common interests – the promotion of human dignity and the spread of freedom. Both of these world leaders have advanced the ball significantly in promoting freedom in the world.
ITV: Do you expect President Bush to invite the Pope to visit the United States?
ROONEY: I don't expect either the Pope or the President are going to tell me what they are going to do, but I am sure that if the Holy Father does come to the United Nations that it would be important for our country that he would have the chance to see the President. I'd have to assume that. The Pope has already been invited to the UN by the Secretary General. I am sure that if he comes to the UN, he will come to see the President.
ITV: And pray at Ground Zero for the victims of 9/11…?
ROONEY: If the Pope comes to New York, I would think that he would also make this important gesture.
