Trump Picks Leader Of Key Catholic Political Org, Father Of Nine For Vatican Ambassador

(Photo credit EVAN VUCCI/AFP via Getty Images)

JARYN CROUSON

CONTRIBUTOR

December 20, 20242:31 PM ET

Trump made the announcement on Truth Social Friday, praising Burch for “helping build one of the largest Catholic advocacy groups in the Country.” Burch is a devout Catholic and outspoken supporter of Trump who urged Catholics to vote for the president-elect over his support of religious freedom and pro-life policies.

“I am pleased to announce that Brian Burch will serve as the next United States Ambassador to the Holy See,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “Brian is a devout Catholic, a father of nine, and President of CatholicVote. He has received numerous awards, and demonstrated exceptional leadership, helping build one of the largest Catholic advocacy groups in the Country. He represented me well during the last Election, having garnered more Catholic votes than any Presidential Candidate in History! Brian loves his Church and the United States – He will make us all proud. Congratulations to Brian, his wife Sara, and their incredible family!

The Holy See Ambassador serves as the official representative of the United States to the Vatican.

(RELATED: ‘Sign Of Great Hope’: Religious Leaders See A ‘Fourth Great Awakening’ As Americans Flock To Christianity)

Burch took to X to accept the nomination.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to have been nominated by President Trump to serve as the United States Ambassador to the Holy See. Words cannot express my gratitude to all those that have helped me achieve this nomination,” Burch wrote. “I am committed to working with leaders inside the Vatican and the new Administration to promote the dignity of all people and the common good. I look forward to the confirmation process and the opportunity to continue to serve my country and the Church. To God be the glory.”

Burch openly supported Trump’s election run, issuing a memo urging Catholics not to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, previously telling the Daily Caller News Foundation that the Democratic ticket “poses an existential threat to Catholics and all people of goodwill.”

“This is a candidate who doesn’t merely disagree with Catholics, but has a deep animus towards Catholics,” Burch warned at the time, adding that Harris has proven to have “broad hostility to Catholic institutions, Catholic moral beliefs, religious freedom and policies that would undermine the common good of the entire country.”

Trump’s victory on Nov. 5 was due in no small part to the Catholic vote, holding a double-digit lead over President Joe Biden despite losing the same group to him in 2020. Trump’s pro-life stance, defense of religious freedom and decision to pick Catholic J.D. Vance as his running may are all possible factors in Catholics’ voting trend this election.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

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Pope Francis calls surrogacy “deplorable”

 

And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

Revelation 13:3

Trump administration ‘working closely’ with Church anti-trafficking groups, ambassador says

Christopher White

Nov 9, 2018
NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, Callista Gingrich, in a file photo. (Credit: CNS.)

NEW YORK - Ending human trafficking is a top priority for the Trump administration, U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Callista Gingrich said on Friday.

“The Trump Administration is fighting human trafficking on all fronts, through vigorous domestic and international efforts,” she told attendees at a United Nations summit on “Practical Solutions to Eradicate Human Trafficking.”

Gingrich recalled Trump’s recent efforts to convene the “President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons,” where he pledged that America “will not rest until we have put these vile organizations out of business and rescued every last victim.” She also noted that the United States is the largest donor to the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery, contributing $75 million dollars to the program.

The daylong summit was sponsored by the Sovereign Order of Malta, the Holy See’s Mission to the United Nations, and the UN Mission of Ireland.

“Human trafficking is a horrendous evil and a global crime that deprives millions of their freedom and dignity,” Gingrich told attendees. “No single government, organization, or individual can do it alone.”
“Human trafficking not only robs a person of their dignity, it compromises national security, threatens international peace, and distorts global markets,” she continued.
The ambassador recalled several firsthand encounters with former victims of trafficking and said that uplifting the voices of trafficking survivors is a “crucial part survivors play in the fight against this abhorrent evil.”

What they're saying: Nikki Haley resigns as UN Ambassador

Zachary Basu

5 hours ago

Photo: Stephanie Keith via Getty Images


U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has resigned and will exit her role at the end of the year.

Why it matters: Widely considered one of the more moderate Republican voices left in Trump's Cabinet, Haley had earned praise from diplomats and politicians across the ideological spectrum during her time as UN ambassador. At a press conference announcing her resignation, President Trump thanked Haley for her service and told her she had "done a fantastic job."

What they're saying:

Vice President Mike Pence: "Nikki Haley served our nation with distinction, faithfully advancing President Trump's America First agenda and she will be missed. ... We will always be grateful for Ambassador Haley’s courage, intellect, character, and unfailing grace."

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.): "Ambassador Nikki Haley has done an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the United Nations and showed a level of effectiveness rarely seen by someone in this position. She is a clear, concise voice for American leadership, American values, and has been a true agent of reform when it came to the United Nations."

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.): "Nikki Haley has been a clear, consistent, and powerful voice for America’s interests and democratic principles on the world stage. She challenged friend and foe to be better. I am saddened that she is leaving the administration, but so grateful for her service. Thank you, Nikki."

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.): "Nikki Haley was a strong voice for the U.S. & for moral clarity at the UN America was blessed to have her representing us. We thank her & her family for their service to our country & the cause of freedom & #HumanRights."

Sen. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.): "Nikki Haley has set a new standard for what American leadership at the UN should look like. She stood with our allies and held our adversaries accountable, even when it required standing alone on the world stage. We will miss her, but we are all better off thanks to her service."

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.): "For decades, dictators have tried to use the U.N. as a platform to give lip service to human rights and offer cheap promises to uphold peace. Ambassador Haley was unafraid to call out their BS & Americans should be grateful for her clarity and strength."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "I thank Ambassador Nikki Haley, who led an uncompromising fight against the United Nations’ hypocrisy and for truth and justice in our country."

Amnesty International: "We hope that Nikki Haley's shock resignation will bring an end to the current low point in relations between NGOs and the U.S. mission to the UN and that her successor will work to repair the relationships. Under her tenure human rights organizations like Amnesty and Human Rights Watch were singled out by her simply for having a different opinion, including on the importance of the Human Rights Council."

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Ambassador Brownback: World faces a 'critical moment' for religious minorities

Sam Brownback, US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. (public domain)

By Courtney Grogan


Washington D.C., Mar 26, 2018 / 04:11 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- “It is more dangerous now than any time in history to be a person of faith,” said Ambassador Sam Brownback at an event marking the second anniversary of U.S. recognition that the Islamic State committed genocide against religious minorities, including Christians, in Syria and Iraq.

Brownback, who was sworn-in as ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom last month, said that religious freedom should be advanced in U.S. national security policy, assistance programs, and economic strategies.

“I would like to see religious freedom be for this administration what climate change was for the last,” said Brownback at the March 23 event hosted by the Heritage Foundation.

“ISIS’ Genocide of Christians: The Past, Present and Future of Christians in the Middle East” brought together human rights experts, academics, and religious freedom advocates to examine how best to address the threats posed to religious minorities by extremist groups such as the Islamic State.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously “that the atrocities perpetrated by ISIL against religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria include war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide” in March 2016. Shortly after, Secretary of State John Kerry named Yazidis, Christians, and Shia Muslims as victims of genocide in the region.

While the panel discussions focused on Christians in the Middle East, Brownback also spoke of threats to religious liberty throughout the world. He highlighted the plight of the Rohingya Muslims in Burma, Tibetan Buddhists and Uyghur Muslims in China, and Catholic leaders in Venezuela, who came under fire from President Nicolas Maduro for speaking out about the country’s current crisis.

Brownback called for alliances between the political left and right in working towards greater religious freedom abroad urging, “We are at a critical moment for the future of religious minorities globally.”

He also asked for prayers for the persecuted and for those involved in religious freedom causes.

"By God's grace, life always triumphs over death, freedom overcomes oppression, and faith extinguishes fear. This is the source of our hope and our confidence in the future,” said Brownback.

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Pence casts tie-breaking vote to confirm Brownback as ambassador

By Chad Pergram, Alex Pappas | Fox News



Vice President Mike Pence was summoned to the Senate on Wednesday to break a tie -- twice -- on an ambassadorship nomination for Kansas Republican Gov. Sam Brownback.

It’s rare for a vice president to be needed to break a tie, especially for a former senator like Brownback.

Pence had to vote twice: first on a procedural vote to break a filibuster, and then again on the final vote to confirm Brownback.





Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback was nominated by President Donald Trump to become ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. (Associated Press)



The vote was tied 49-49. Then Pence voted "in the affirmative," making it 50-49.

Brownback was nominated by President Donald Trump as ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom.

The last vice president to twice break ties on the same day was Vice President Alben Barkley on October 4, 1949.

The Senate is operating with two Republicans absent. Arizona Sen. John McCain, who is battling cancer, remains out. Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker is at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Under the Constitution, the vice president also serves as president of the Senate and votes in the event of ties.

This is the seventh tie Pence has broken in a little more than a year in office. Former Vice President Joe Biden never had to break a tie during his entire eight years.

Pence cast the tie-breaking ballot to confirm Betsy DeVos as education secretary last year -- the first time a vice president had ever broken a tie to confirm a nominee.


Alex Pappas is a politics reporter at FoxNews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AlexPappas.

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Callista Gingrich formally begins service as U.S. ambassador to Holy See

by Cindy Wooden

posted Friday, 22 Dec 2017

Callista Gingrich (Getty images)


Mrs Gingrich presented her credentials to Pope Francis Friday morning

Callista Gingrich presented her letters of credential to Pope Francis, formally assuming her duties as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See.

Gingrich met privately with the Pope on December 22 after introducing her husband, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and members of her staff.

Neither the Vatican nor the U.S. embassy provided details about their private discussion.

In a statement, the embassy said, “Ambassador Gingrich looks forward to working with the Holy See to defend human rights, advance religious freedom, combat human trafficking and to seek peaceful solutions to crises around the world.”

But in the weeks before her papal audience, Pope Francis and U.S. President Donald Trump had very public disagreements on other issues. Pope Francis had asked Trump to respect the “status quo” of Jerusalem by not recognizing it as the capital of Israel until the city’s status was determined by a peace process.

Also, the Vatican expressed disappointment that the Trump administration pulled out of the U.N. process for drafting global compacts on migration and on refugees and that the administration withdrew U.S. support for the Paris Accord on reducing climate change.

Meeting Pope Francis, Gingrich gave him a collection of sacred music recorded by the choir she was a longtime member of at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, the embassy said. She also gave him a donation for the charity of his choice.

After meeting the Pope and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, the new ambassador was accompanied to St Peter’s Basilica by Mgr Francis Kelly, a priest of the Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts, and a canon of St. Peter’s Basilica.

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Durbin criticizes Dominican cardinal in letter to Pope Francis

December 15, 2015 at 10:49 pm EST | by Michael K. Lavers

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin on Dec. 15, 2015, sent a letter to Pope Francis in which he criticized a Dominican cardinal for using anti-gay slurs to describe gay U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic James “Wally” Brewster. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Tuesday sent a letter to Pope Francis in which he criticizes a Dominican cardinal for using homophobic slurs to describe a gay U.S. ambassador.



The Illinois Democrat noted that Cardinal Nicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez of the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo has repeatedly described James “Wally” Brewster as a “faggot.”

Durbin in his letter points out that López earlier this month said that Brewster was promoting “faggotry” in the Dominican Republic. Durbin further highlights the cardinal on Dec. 1 described the married gay ambassador as a “wife” who “should stick to housework.”

“The church’s teachings on gay marriage are well known but the church also teaches us to show tolerance for those with different sexual orientations,” says Durbin in his letter. “The intolerant public statements of Cardinal Rodríguez are inconsistent with that clearly stated value.”

Durbin also notes that López and other Dominican religious leaders have organized so-called “Black Monday” protests against Brewster.

“Despite these hateful words and personal attacks, Ambassador Brewster has worked to quiet the conflict between church leaders and himself,” writes Durbin. “His patience and professionalism in light of these mean-spirited attacks by the cardinal demonstrate his personal commitment to his responsibility of representing the United States of America.”

Durbin further references Francis’ call to “defend and preserve the dignity of your fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding pursuit of the common good” that he made in September during his speech to Congress. The Illinois Democrat also describes Brewster, who lives in Chicago with his husband, Bob Satawake, as “a personal friend.”

“I supported President Obama’s selection of Ambassador Brewster and he was sworn into his position in my Senate office,” writes Durbin. “Ambassador Brewster is gay and was married under the laws of the United States to his partner, Bob Satawake.”
Ambassador dismisses cardinal’s comments on Dominican TV

Brewster last week described López’s comments as “noise” during an interview that he and Satawake did with a Dominican television station.

Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of DignityUSA, a group for LGBT Catholics, last week called upon the cardinal to apologize to the ambassador. Advocates in the predominantly Catholic country with whom the Blade has previously spoken remain highly critical of López over his comments against Brewster and other LGBT-specific issues.

“U.S. policy is dedicated to eliminating barriers to equality, fighting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and engaging LGBTI communities around the world,” State Department spokesperson Pooja Jhunjhunwala told the Blade last week in a statement. “Ambassador Brewster, like all U.S. ambassadors, advances this policy along with many other aspects of our bilateral relationship. That there may be those opposed to the promotion of human rights in various societies around the world is not surprising, but it does underscore why this work is so important.”

The Blade has reached out to the Vatican and the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo for comment on Durbin’s letter.

U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic James “Wally” Brewster, left, and his husband, Bob Satawake, at their official residence in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in June 2015. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

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Christiane Amanpour named UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Freedom of Expression

U.N. - Top StoriesWednesday 29th April, 2015

29 April 2015 - The United Nations agency mandated to promote and protect press freedom worldwide has named renowned journalist and CNN Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour its Goodwill Ambassador for Freedom of Expression and Journalist Safety.

Ms. Amanpour received the honour during a ceremony at UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris.

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova praised Ms. Amanpour for "her efforts to promote free, independent and pluralistic media, having the right to work free from the threat of violence, and contributing through this to peace, sustainability, poverty eradication and human rights."

"In the most challenging situations, addressing the most demanding interlocutors" said the Director-General, "integrity and courage have always guided you, with the conviction that freedom of expression, media freedoms are essential for stronger societies, for healthier democracies, for peace and reconciliation as well as sustainable development "we need to defend these principles more than ever today, at a time when they are challenged across the world."

In her acceptance speech, Ms. Amanpour stressed the important role of journalists as "pillars of reform, freedom and democracy" whose task is to "strengthen civil society."

"We"re here to make the world a better place" she said. She also made an impassioned plea for the release of all imprisoned journalists, wherever they may be, and condemned the increasing number of attacks and assassinations of media professionals.

Ms. Amanpour has won every major television journalism award, including 11 News and Documentary Emmy Awards, four Peabody Awards, two George Polk Awards, three duPont-Columbia Awards and the Courage in Journalism Award.

She has also received nine honorary degrees, has been named a Commander in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) and was this year inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame. She is a member of the board of directors of the Committee to Protect Journalists, one of UNESCO"s partners in its work for freedom of expression and journalists" safety.

UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors are a group of personalities who use their talent and status to help shine a light on the work of the Organization in education, science, culture and communication.

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The United Nations Messengers of Peace

Friday, April 24, 2015

The United Nations Messengers of Peace are the most highly recognized of the United Nations Goodwill Ambassadors. Currently the United Nations has over 450 goodwill ambassadors, the Messengers of Peace are among them.

The messengers are initially chosen for a period of three years, although three of the current 13 messengers, Michael Douglas, Elie Wiesel and Jane Goodall have served for more than ten years.

The Messengers of Peace scheme was instigated in 1998 as a central addition to the system of UN goodwill ambassadors and honorary ambassadors, which has been run by the different UN agencies since 1954, when UNICEF appointed Danny Kaye as its first goodwill ambassador.

Whilst the goodwill and honorary ambassadors mainly promote the work of the UN agency they are ambassador for, the messengers of peace are intended to promote the work of the United Nations in general and are appointed directly by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

The 13 United Nations Messengers of Peace are now the following: Daniel Barenboim, Paulo Coelho, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Douglas, Jane Goodall, HRH Princess Haya, Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Midori, Edward Norton, Charlize Theron, Elie Wiesel and Stevie Wonder. Each UN Messenger of Peace has his/her own focus area as you can see below.


Daniel Barenboim: Peace and Tolerance

Daniel Barenboim (born 1942) is an Argentine pianist, conductor and music director. He gave his international debut performance as a solo pianist at age ten. Since then he has worked with orchestras all over the world. Barenboim is a polyglot, fluent in the Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, and Hebrew languages.

In 1999, he co-founded the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, which brings together young musicians from Israel and the Arab countries to promote dialogue and unity of purpose between the various cultures of the Middle East. Recently, Mr. Barenboim has initiated a project for music education in the Palestinian territories, including the foundation of a music kindergarten and a Palestinian youth orchestra.


Paulo Coelho: Poverty and Intercultural Dialogue

Paulo Coelho (born 1947), is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist. He is the recipient of numerous international awards. The author has sold 190 million copies worldwide and is the all-time bestselling Portuguese language author.

Through the Paulo Coelho Institute, the Rio de Janeiro native uses his global appeal to combat poverty and help underprivileged members of Brazilian society. He is also an advocate of multiculturalism through his work with UNESCO as a Special Counselor for Intercultural Dialogues and Spiritual Convergences.

Since 2009 he has been part of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s “Network of Men Leaders”, a group of influential men who work in their spheres of influence to undertake specific actions to end violence against women. The Network is part of the “UNiTE to End Violence against Women” campaign.

Leonardo DiCaprio: Climate Change

Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (born 1974) is an American actor and film producer. He has been nominated for ten Golden Globe Awards, winning two, and five Academy Awards.

In 1998, he established the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation dedicated to land, oceans and species conservation, as well as supporting efforts to mitigate climate change and bolster disaster relief. His foundation supports environmental causes through grant making, campaigning and media projects to inform and rally the public on specific issues. In addition to establishing his Foundation, Mr. DiCaprio serves on the board of several environmental protection organizations including the World Wildlife Fund and The Natural Resources Defense Council, as well as an Advisor on The Solutions Project, an organization dedicated to scaling up the adoption of clean, renewable energy.


Michael Douglas: Disarmament

Michael Kirk Douglas (born 1944) is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won four Golden Globes, including the Cecil B. DeMille Award, two Academy Awards and an Emmy Award.

Michael Douglas is fiercely committed to disarmament issues, including nuclear non-proliferation and halting the global trade in small arms and light weapons. He focuses public awareness on the United Nations’ efforts to strengthen peace and security by speaking publicly for greater controls on the illegal possession and circulation of small arms and light weapons. Mr. Douglas hosted a documentary filmed in Sierra Leone that was part of a United Nations/Showtime ten-part series titled “What’s Going On?” that helped bring attention to the plight of child soldiers.


Jane Goodall: Conservation

Dame Jane Morris Goodall (born 1934) is an English primatologist, ethologist and anthropologist. Goodall is best known for her 55-year study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania. She is the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and the Roots & Shoots program. She has served on the board of the Nonhuman Rights Project since its founding in 1996.

The Jane Goodall Institute is widely recognized for creating innovative conservation and development programmes in Africa, where she began her landmark studies in 1960. Her global Roots & Shoots programme supports tens of thousands of young people in nearly 100 countries with projects that help people, animals and the environment.


HRH Princess Haya: Hunger and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

Princess Haya bint Al Hussein (born 1974) is an equestrian who competed for Jordan in international show jumping competition and is the two-term President of the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI). She is known as Her Royal Highness Princess Haya of Jordan (Arabic: ھيا‎).

Princess Haya founded Tikyet Um Ali (TUA) in her native Jordan, the first Arab NGO dedicated to overcoming local hunger. TUA provides food assistance and employment opportunities to thousands of poor families. In November 2012, TUA announced a campaign to quadruple the number of its beneficiaries in a drive to eliminate hunger in Jordan and help meet the MDGs on hunger by 2015. Princess Haya also chairs Dubai’s International Humanitarian City, now the world’s largest operational center for the delivery of aid both in emergencies and for long-term development. 10 UN agencies and 40 NGOs are members of the IHC which has supported relief efforts all over the globe including East Africa during recent droughts, in Pakistan during the 2009 floods, and in Afghanistan and Darfur. The IHC has also hosted UN and NGO staff evacuated during emergencies and civil unrest.


Lang Lang: Global Education

Lang Lang (born 1982) is a Chinese concert pianist who has performed with leading orchestras in Europe, the United States and his native China. Lang Lang began playing the piano at the age of three.

In October 2008, he launched the Lang Lang International Music Foundation with a mission to encourage music performance at all levels as a means of social development for youth. The Foundation operates with the conviction that music, as a universal language, can help bridge cultural gaps and unite communities.

Lang Lang has been recognized for his commitment to mobilizing support for improving the lives of children around the world, most notably as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. As a Messenger of Peace, he helps raise awareness of the Secretary-General’s Global Education First Initiative, in particular fostering global citizenship.


Yo-Yo Ma: YouthYo-Yo Ma (born 1955) is a cellist.

A child prodigy, he was performing from the age of five. He has enjoyed a prolific career as both a soloist performing with orchestras around the world and a recording artist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in the United States, Mr. Ma is the recipient of countless honours and awards.

Believing that music can act as a magnet to draw people together, he created the Silk Road Project in 1998 to promote the study of cultural, artistic and intellectual traditions along the ancient Silk Road trade route, which sweeps through cultures from the Mediterranean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. In 2007, he contributed music for a DVD produced in support of the Stop TB Partnership Campaign with the World Health Organization.


Midori: Youth and the Millennium Development Goals

Midori Gotō ((born 1971), usually referred to simply as Midori, is a Japanese born American violinist. She made her debut at the age of 11, when conductor Zubin Mehta added her to the program of the New York Philharmonic's New Year's Eve Gala in 1982.

Midori has established a record of achievement which sets her apart as a master musician, an innovator, and a champion of the developmental potential of children. In 1992, Midori founded Midori & Friends, a non-profit organization that brings music education programmes to thousands of underprivileged children each year. Two other organizations, Music Sharing (based in Japan) and Partners in Performance (based in the US), also bring music into the lives of people who may not otherwise have involvement with the arts.


Edward Norton: BiodiversityEdward Harrison 

Norton (born 1969) is an American actor, screenwriter, director, producer and activist. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards.

Mr. Norton works closely with the Secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity to help spotlight the importance of biodiversity to human well-being and to ensure world leaders take appropriate measures to protect the environment.

Mr. Norton is the President of the Board of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, a community conservation organization that partners with traditional communities in East Africa to conserve key ecosystems by developing sustainable, natural resource-based economic revenues. Mr. Norton also serves on the Board of Trustees of Enterprise, which works to move families up and out of poverty and transform low-income communities across the US through the development of decent affordable housing and social service networks.


Charlize Theron: Elimination of Violence Against Women

Charlize Theron (born 1975) is a South African/American Academy Award-winning actress, producer, and fashion model.

As a Messenger of Peace, Charlize Theron focuses on the prevention of HIV and the elimination of violence against women. She founded The Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP) in 2007 with the mission to help African youth keep themselves safe from HIV. The Project supports community engaged organizations that use innovative and community specific programming to work with youth, bringing critical resources like access to youth friendly healthcare, sexual and reproductive health education, life skills, and psychosocial support.

Ms. Theron also filmed a series of public service announcements in support of the Cape Town Rape Crisis Center, urging zero tolerance for rape or domestic violence. Ms. Theron travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2009 and 2011 to help raise awareness about the plight of women and girls victims of sexual violence.


Elie Wiesel: Human Rights

Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel (born September 30, 1928) is a Jewish-American professor, Holocaust survivor, Nobel Laureate, writer and human rights activist. He is the author of 57 books, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a prisoner in the Auschwitz, Buna, and Buchenwald concentration camps. Wiesel is also the Advisory Board chairman of the newspaper Algemeiner Journal.

Mr. Wiesel has lent his compassionate voice to a variety of United Nations causes, such as focusing public attention on eradicating poverty and the atrocities occurring in the Darfur region of Sudan. A U.S. citizen since 1963, he continues to be a vocal advocate of human rights and world peace through The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity which he founded with his wife, Marion Wiesel, in 1986.


Stevie Wonder: Persons with Disabilities

Stevland Hardaway Morris (born 1950), known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist. A Grammy Award-winner, he has written, produced or performed songs for charities in support of disabilities, AIDS, cancer, diabetes, hunger and homelessness, domestic abuse and other causes on behalf of children and adults. He has been blind since shortly after birth.

He has been recognized for his philanthropic efforts by the U.S. President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, the Children’s Diabetes Foundation, Junior Blind of America, and the creation of the Wonder Vision Awards Program.

In 1983, he spearheaded a campaign to make Martin Luther King Day a national holiday in the United States. He also advocated for the end of apartheid in South Africa.
This article is a collaborate research effort of Ambassadors Maria Veneke and Sonia B. Ceballos of Globcal International as its editors and authors. Quotes not cited elsewhere are based on Wikipedia sourced reference or the United Nations website.

Posted by David Wright at 5:29 PM

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US ambassador in Seoul Mark Lippert slashed in razor attack

DateMarch 5, 2015 - 11:59AM





US ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert leaves after he was slashed in the face by an assailant at a public forum in central Seoul. Photo: Reuters



Seoul: The US ambassador to South Korea was slashed in the face by a razor-wielding assailant at a public forum in the capital early on Thursday.

Mark Lippert was attacked before he was due to give a speech at a breakfast event organised by the Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation, a non-profit organisation promoting exchanges between the two Koreas.

Mr Lippert, 42, was bleeding from a facial wound but was walking after the attack as he was taken to Kangbuk Samsung Medical Centre. His wounds were reportedly not life-threatening. 

Security personnel detain the man who allegedly attacked Mark Lippert. Photo: Reuters

The attacker, identified only as Kim, was shouting slogans opposing military drills as he was taken into custody, Yonhap News reported.
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The man involved in the attack received a suspended two-year jail sentence for throwing a piece of concrete at Japan's ambassador to South Korea in 2010, Yonhap said.

This week, South Korea and the US began joint annual military drills that are opposed by North Korea and its sympathisers.

The White House said it was aware of, and tracking reports of, the attack.

Mr Lippert took up his post in Seoul last October.
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New Canadian ambassador seeks collaboration for ‘betterment of humanity’

Vatican \ Activities





Canadian Ambassador to the Holy See Dennis Savoie (Photo courtesy of the Canadian Embassy to the Holy See) - RV
15/12/2014 08:12



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received the new Canadian Ambassador to the Holy See, Dennis Savoie, on Monday. During the morning meeting, Ambassador Savoie presented the Pope with his credentials, which marked the start of the diplomat’s four-year term.

“It was a very humbling experience,” said Ambassador Savoie about his meeting with the Pope. “I felt very privileged to have been received by the Holy Father. I met a man who is very, very simple, very personable, makes you feel at ease right away. It was a very, very good meeting.”

In an interview with Vatican Radio, Ambassador Savoie said his “first priority” is to establish a network within which to identify areas for possible collaboration between Canada and the Holy See.

Listen to the interview with Ambassador Dennis Savoie: 

http://media02.radiovaticana.va/audio/audio2/mp3/00457571.mp3

“What I’ve already started doing in the past couple of months … is to establish a network within the area of the Holy See and government to try to, together, try to identify in what areas both countries, so to speak, could collaborate for the betterment of humanity,” he said.

The new ambassador, who fills a post that had been empty for more than a year, said he also looks forward to working with other ambassadors in Rome on issues of common concern.

“Some of them are very focused in certain areas which I’m interested in, whether it’s social justice, whether it’s immigration or religious liberties,” he said.

FIRST DIPLOMATIC POST

Ambassador Savoie was born in Tracadie, New Brunswick, one of Canada’s eastern provinces, on 9 February 1945. He and his wife of 44 years, Claudette Surette, have two children and five grandchildren.

He comes to Rome after a long and successful career in the business and nonprofit sectors, namely a 27-year career with the New Brunswick Power Corporation, where he rose to vice president, and upon retirement, four years as executive director of the New Brunswick Association of Nursing Homes.

A committed Catholic and a member of the Knights of Columbus since 1973, he later served as the Deputy Supreme Knight in New Haven, Connecticut, in the United States, from 2006 to 2013.

This is his first diplomatic assignment.

“Diplomacy for me is a brand new area and I’m sure it’s because of my involvement with the Knights that I’m here,” he told Vatican Radio. “I hope that my experience with the Knights as a …very profoundly Catholic organization, highly ethical from a business point of view… I hope that experience, knowing how the Church functions a bit, will no doubt help me.”

THREE BENCHMARKS

The ambassador also reflected on the role of faith in his work, saying he was “very fortunate” to have grown up in a “very strong Catholic family” and to have had good mentors.

One mentor in particular, while he was still a sociology student in university, had given him “three benchmarks” by which to live his life: “Whatever you do, do it with integrity and honesty. You’re integrity is not for sale, bottom line. Always aim for excellence. In other words, do the best you can at all times. And always be concerned about the human concern.”

Ambassador Savoie said he committed to these guidelines throughout his career. “They served me well over the years,” he said. “And why people believe certain things and do differently, I don’t know. It’s hard for me to understand that part.”

The ambassador said he looks forward to his four-year term at the Vatican.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to make a small difference in whatever we do to help the world,” he said.

Ambassador Savoie arrived in Rome in early October. He succeeds Anne Leahy, who had completed her term in September 2012, but who remained an additional four months. The Canadian Ambassador to Spain, Jon Allen, had taken on the additional duties of overseeing the office in the interim.

Report and interview by Laura Ieraci

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Australian ambassador commends Adventist contributions in health, education

Australia's Ambassador to the United States Kim Beazley had the rapt attention of nearly 20 Adventist Church leaders during a protocol lunch on April 10 during a visit to the denomination's headquarters. He spoke briefly on many aspects of Australia, drawing on knowledge from his long and varied political career. From left: John Graz, director of the Adventist Church's Public Affairs and Religious Liberty department; Ambassador Beazley; Adventist Church President Ted N. C. Wilson; and Education department director Lisa Beardsley-Hardy. [photo: Ansel Oliver]
Former deputy PM Beazley says secular country supports religion


April 15, 2014 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States | Ansel Oliver/ANN

Australia’s ambassador to the United States visited with Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders last week at the denomination’s headquarters, affirming the South Pacific country’s commitment to religious freedom and discussing the government’s ongoing financial support for private education.

Kim Beazley, the former deputy prime minister, thanked church leaders for hosting him in his first visit since he became ambassador in 2010.

“There’s a wonderful sense of peace and purpose about this building and about the people in it. That comes, of course, with the experience everybody in this place has had at the cross and what it means in their lives,” Beazely told a group of church leaders during a protocol lunch on April 10.

Beazley spoke briefly on a variety of subjects, drawing on his knowledge of the country from his long and varied political career in the federal government. Beazley has served as Minister for Transport and Communications, Defence, Finance, and Employment.

He said Australia is a largely secular society, but its government funds private schools, including religious institutions. Beazley also said faith-based institutions are the most reliable in delivering aid at home and abroad, particularly through health and education initiatives. “Adventists are enormously present in both,” he said.

Church leaders thanked Beazley for Australia’s religious freedom and government funding of private schools.

“We want you to know that Seventh-day Adventists are very much part of helping to build the structure of society, …and we are extremely gratified that Australia provides full religious freedom,” said Adventist Church President Ted N. C. Wilson.

Australia’s federal and state governments fund private schools on an as-needed basis, anywhere from 25 percent to 100 percent or more, based on specials needs or populations they serve, Beasley said.

Education director Lisa Beardsley-Hardy said she was proud of Beazley’s father, who served as Minister for Education in the 1970s and introduced the government funding for schools.

“I wanted to publically thank you for what your father has done in making distinction between choice and conscience and allowing federal funds going to parents who wish to educate their children in private schools for reasons of conscience,” she told Beazley.

The Adventist Church in Australia has more than 58,000 members and operates nearly 50 primary and secondary schools, as well as Avondale College. The church there also operates Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company, which produces the national iconic breakfast cereal Weet-bix.

The Adventist Church headquarters and the International Religious Liberty Association periodically host diplomats to strengthen relationships in the promotion of religious freedom. In the last year alone, diplomats have visited from Cuba, Fiji, Romania, Switzerland and Zambia.

Source:  "Adventist News Network"

Copyright © 2014, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

 
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Meet John Kerry, Skull and Bones Ambassador

corbettreport


Published on May 24, 2013


SHOW NOTES AND MP3: http://www.corbettreport.com/?p=7405

This week on The Corbett Report we look beyond the mainstream narrative of John Kerry and his background to find the real connections that have catapulted him into the corridors of power. From his billionaire wife to his Ivy League education to his Skull and Bones membership, we examine the real agenda of the new Secretary of State.

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Obama Administration Mulled Ending Holy See Ambassadorship

Monday, 19 Aug 2013 03:32 PM

By John Gizzi



During the past year, the Obama administration strongly considered ending diplomatic relations with the Vatican as it pondered whether it should appoint a new envoy to the Holy See, Newsmax has learned.

The recent Obama nomination and Senate confirmation on August 1 of Ken Hackett as the new U.S. Ambassador has ended internal Obama administration debate on the matter.

"I have heard the rumors and I believe them to be true," Jim Nicholson, former U.S Ambassador to the Vatican under President George W. Bush, told Newsmax. "It wouldn't surprise me in the least if the Obama White House seriously discussed downgrading U.S. diplomatic relations with the Holy See, given the devalued view they clearly hold this relationship in." Special Report: Obama’s Assault on Religion — Click Here Now

"This administration does not want a strong Catholic Church, nor a strong relationship with it, as it sees the Church as an obstacle to its liberal social agenda," Nicholson said.

The Obama administration has been in conflict with the Roman Catholic Church on a host of issues ranging from Obamacare's contraceptive requirements for Catholic hospitals to the administration's strong stance in favor of abortion rights. After Obama's first ambassador, Miguel Diaz, resigned last year, President Barack Obama had difficulty identifying a nominee who would represent his administration, but at the same time would be acceptable to the Holy See, according to one source familiar with the selection.

Faced with finding such a candidate, the Obama administration considered closing its Vatican offices, and opening offices in the U.S.'s Rome embassy for a smaller office to deal with Catholic matters.

In the end, the Obama administration moved to select Hackett, whose choice has won strong applause from Catholic leaders of all political stripes.

Hackett is the retired president of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), one of the Church's largest social welfare organizations supported by the U.S. Catholic bishops. Hackett, a graduate of Boston College, also served in the Peace Corps.

"I think Ken Hackett is an excellent choice," Thomas P. Melady, who was Ambassador to the Holy See under President George H.W. Bush, told Newsmax.

Melady, who is also a past president of Sacred Heart College in Connecticut, noted that prior to assuming the presidency of CRS in 1993, Hackett began his career with the group in Africa and oversaw its operations in East Africa during the Somali crisis in the late 1980s.

"The Holy See needs a good person and they've got one," Francis Rooney, George W. Bush's envoy to the Vatican, told the Catholic Standard, saying Hackett "is tremendously qualified to do the job, given his background with Catholic Relief Services."

Along with what he called "an excellent record" at CRS, Melady said that the nominee "knows the hierarchy at the Vatican well from his years [at CRS] and that is very important."

Since the U.S. extended full diplomatic recognition to the Holy See under President Ronald Reagan, U.S. ambassadors to the Vatican have always been practicing Catholics who accept the teachings of their church — even when they conflict with those of the administration in the White House.

Melady pointed out that the two ambassadors to the Vatican under Democratic President Bill Clinton — former Boston Mayor Ray Flynn and Rep. Lindy Boggs of Louisiana — were both strong abortion opponents and took stands that differed strongly with the stated policy of their party and Clinton himself.

The same was true of Diaz, President Obama's ambassador throughout his first term.

Because more than six months went from the time of Diaz's resignation and the naming of Hackett to succeed him, there were mounting rumors that the administration was having difficulty recruiting someone to represent it at the Holy See.

"As far as I know, while there was talk of many choices to be ambassador, there we

re no formal offers made before the White House went to Ken Hackett," Melady said.

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Senate confirms Hackett, retired CRS leader, as ambassador to Vatican

Ken Hackett, left, retired president of Catholic Relief Services, attends the 2012 consistory at the Vatican with Miguel Diaz, former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. (CNS/Paul Haring)


Catholic News Service | Aug. 5, 2013

Ken Hackett, retired president of Catholic Relief Services, received Senate confirmation Thursday as U.S. ambassador to the Vatican.

"We are overjoyed that the country will be represented by a man who through his decades of service has demonstrated his commitment to the dignity and sanctity of life and fighting global poverty," said Carolyn Woo, current CRS president and chief executive officer, in a statement Friday. "We look forward to working with the new ambassador as he engages the Vatican and Pope Francis towards the common goal of advancing peace and justice in the world."

President Barack Obama nominated Hackett on June 14 for the position on the same day he announced nominees for ambassador posts in Brazil, Spain, Germany, Denmark and Ethiopia.

"It gives me great confidence that such dedicated and capable individuals have agreed to join this administration to serve the American people. I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come," the president said.

Hackett retired in December 2011 after 18 years as president of CRS, the U.S. bishops' overseas relief and development agency.

As U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, he succeeds Miguel Diaz, who left the post in late 2012. Diaz now is a professor of faith and culture at the University of Dayton, Ohio.

Hackett was appointed president of CRS in 1993. During his tenure, he established a division focusing on outreach to dioceses, parishes, Catholic organizations, and colleges and universities, and laypeople were first appointed to the CRS board of directors.

Catholic Relief Services now operates in more than 100 countries, with a global staff of nearly 5,000.

Born in West Roxbury, Mass., Hackett joined the Peace Corps shortly after his 1968 graduation from Boston College. Assigned to a Catholic mission in rural Ghana, he worked in an agricultural cooperative and saw "the actual impact of American food aid on the health and well-being of very poor kids in a very isolated part of a West African country," he said recently.

After completing his Peace Corps assignment, Hackett joined CRS, the U.S. Catholic relief and development agency, in 1972. He started his career in Sierra Leone, where he managed a nationwide leprosy program and a maternal and child health program.

Subsequent positions took him to various posts in Africa and Asia, as well as in CRS' Baltimore headquarters. As regional director for Africa, he managed the agency's response to the Ethiopian famine of 1984-85. He also supervised CRS operations in East Africa during the crisis in Somalia in the 1990s.

In February 2012, Hackett and Diaz represented the U.S. government at the consistory led by Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican ceremony. Pope Benedict XVI created 22 new cardinals from 13 countries -- including two from the United States and one from Canada.

In May of that year, he received the University of Notre Dame's Laetare Medal during commencement ceremonies. The medal has been given annually since 1883 to a Catholic "whose genius has ennobled the arts and sciences, illustrated the ideals of the church and enriched the heritage of humanity."

In announcing that honor, Holy Cross Father John Jenkins, Notre Dame's university president, said in a statement: "Ken Hackett has responded to a Gospel imperative with his entire career. His direction of the Catholic Church's outreach to the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick and unsheltered of the world has blended administrative acumen with genuine compassion in a unique and exemplary way."

Hackett is a former North American president of Caritas Internationalis, the confederation of humanitarian agencies of the Catholic Church and a former member of the board of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum at the Vatican. He also has been an adviser to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Hackett was on the board of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the congressionally mandated independent development agency, from 2004 to 2010. He has received numerous honorary degrees.

After retiring from CRS, Hackett was named a consultant to the University of Notre Dame's Institute for Global Development.


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Ken Hackett To Be Nominated As Ambassador To Vatican

Posted: 06/14/2013 6:28 pm EDT | Updated: 06/14/2013 6:53 pm EDT

Religion and Politics, Holy See, Holy See Ambassador, Miguel Diaz, Ambassador To Vatican,Catholicism, Ken Hackett, Ken Hackett Vatican, Vatican, Religion News




The White House announced Friday that President Barack Obama will nominate Ken Hackett, the former president of Catholic Relief Services to be the United States' ambassador to the Vatican.

Hackett is currently a consultant for the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Global Development. He was Catholic Relief Services' president from 1993 to 2012, and retired from the organization in 2012 after working there for 40 years.

The White House announcement also named Obama's nominees to be ambassadors to Brazil, Spain, Germany, Denmark and Ethiopia.

“It gives me great confidence that such dedicated and capable individuals have agreed to join this administration to serve the American people. I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come," the president said in the statement.

The nominations, including Hackett's, must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Hackett would be the 10th American ambassador to the Vatican since the United States established formal diplomatic relations with it in 1984.

Prior to being CRS president, Hackett served in several capacities in the humanitarian group, including being East African regional director, country representative in the Philippines, senior director of external affairs, African regional director and a staffer in Sierra Leone.

He'll fill a position that has been empty since former Holy See ambassador Miguel Diaz left the office in November. Diaz, a theologian who Obama nominated to the position in 2009, was the first Hispanic in the post. He's currently a professor at the University of Dayton.

In addition to his work at CRS, Hackett was the North American vice president of Caritas Internationalis from 1996 to 2004. From 1996 to 2011, he was part of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum for Human and Christian Development, which is the Vatican organization responsible for the church's charitable efforts.

From 2004 to 2009, Hackett was also on the board of directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation. Earlier in Hackett's life, from 1968 to 1971, he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Ghana. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Boston College.

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Obama slated to name five openly homosexual foreign ambassadors

BY KIRSTEN ANDERSEN

Wed Jun 12, 2013 16:51 EST




WASHINGTON, D.C., June 11, 2013 (LifeSiteNews) – The Obama Administration’s ongoing celebration of homosexual “Pride Month” has seemingly carried over into its ambassadorial nominations.

On monday, the president announced the nomination of Daniel Baer as ambassador to the Vienna-based Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). If confirmed, Baer would be the first open homosexual to serve as ambassador to a multilateral institution.

Next on the list is HBO executive James Costos, who together with his boyfriend, decorator Michael Smith, fundraised over $1 million for President Obama’s re-election. He is expected to be named ambassador to Spain as early as this week.

After that, at least three more homosexuals are slated to be announced as ambassadorial picks, including former Office of Personnel Management director John Berry (Australia), former Democratic National Committee finance chairman and Obama fundraising director Rufus Gifford (Denmark), and hedge fund manager James “Wally” Brewster, a high-dollar Obama fundraiser whose assignment is as yet unknown.

If they are confirmed, the five openly gay ambassadors will join the three already appointed, bringing the total to eight.
Emily Heil of the Washington Post speculated that the rash of homosexual appointments is repayment for the massive role gay activists had in the president’s fundraising efforts, as well as on Election Day. Heil reported that a dozen members of Obama’s national finance team are openly homosexual, and said an argument could be made that gay Americans “handed Obama the election” by voting for him by a three-to-one margin.

While the Administration has yet to send an openly gay ambassador to a country that opposes homosexuality, in the wake of the Benghazi terrorist attack on September 11 of last year, it was widelyspeculated that murdered Libyan Ambassador Christopher Stevens may have been targeted by Muslim extremists because of suspicions he was gay.

In 2011, Ambassador Richard Hoagland outraged Pakistanis by hosting a gay pride celebration at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, provoking protests in the conservative Muslim nation. At the time, a coalition of religious and political leaders, including Pakistan’s largest Islamic party, Jamaat-e-Islami, released a statement condemning the U.S. government’s homosexual advocacy, calling it the “worst social and cultural terrorism against Pakistan.”

Last week, Secretary of State John Kerry released a recorded message to all State Department employees celebrating the month of June as homosexual “Pride Month” and highlighting the department’s role in spreading homosexual acceptance throughout the globe, describing gay advocacy as “central” to the Obama Administration’s efforts overseas.

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Ambassador Richard N. Haass

Found some info on Richard Haass' Ambassador status:

AMBASSADOR  RICHARD N. HAASS 

Ambassador Haass is Director of Policy Planning for the Department of State.  He was also confirmed by the U.S. Senate to hold the rank of ambassador.  In this latter capacity, he is the lead U.S. Government official in support of the Northern Ireland peace process.  Previously, Ambassador Haass was Vice President and Director of Foreign Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution.  He was also a consultant for NBC News and a frequent contributor to foreign affairs journals and the op-ed pages of major newspapers.  His is the author or editor of nine books on American foreign policy, including The Reluctant Sheriff: The United States After the Cold War, Economic Sanctions and American Diplomacy, and Intervention:  The Use of American Military Force in the Post-Cold War World.  He is also the author of one book on management.  The Bureaucratic Entrepreneur:  How to Be Effective in Any Unruly Organization.  Ambassador Haass has extensive prior government experience.   From 1989 to1993, he was Special Assistant to President George Bush and Senior Director for Near East and South Asian Affairs on the staff of the National Security Council.  Previously, he served in various posts in the Departments of State and Defense and was a legislative aide in the U.S. Senate. Ambassador Haass has also been Director of National Security Programs and a Senior Fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations.  In addition, he has been the Sol M. Linowitz Visiting Professor of International Studies at Hamilton College, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, and a research associate at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.  A Rhodes Scholar, he holds a B.A. degree from Oberlin College and both the Master and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from Oxford University. 

http://www.ndu.edu/inss/symposia/topical2001/haass.html

From January 2001 to June 2003, Dr. Richard Haass was director of policy planning for the Department of State, where he was a principal adviser to Secretary of State Colin Powell. Confirmed by the U.S. Senate to hold the rank of ambassador, Dr. Haass also served as U.S. coordinator for policy toward the future of Afghanistan and U.S. envoy to the Northern Ireland peace process. For his efforts, he received the State Department's Distinguished Honor Award.

.http://www.cfr.org/experts/afghanistan-iraq-us-strategy-and-politics/richard-n-haass/b3350/bio

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Diaz: “Now Mahony should pull out of the Conclave”

02/23/2013




MIGUEL DIAZ

“Vatican Insider” interviews the former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, Miguel Diaz

PAOLO MASTROLILLI
NEW YORK

“Just like everyone else, Cardinal Mahony should reflect on the example set by the Pope.” Miguel Diaz, who up until two months ago was the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, is using all his diplomatic skill to persuade the Archbishop Emeritus of Los Angeles, who was involved in the Church sex-abuse scandal, not to take part in the Conclave. Regarding the election of the Pope’s successor, he added: “There are obvious divisions. What the Church needs now is a leader that is able to say “that is enough”.” Diaz returned to his post as theologian at the University of Dayton, in Ohio, but the post of U.S. ambassador to the Holy See remains vacant: “I am waiting for President Obama and Secretary of State, Kerry, decide though of course I would be glad to participate in the election of the new Pope.”


What were your thoughts when you heard about the Pope’s resignation?

“I wasn’t particularly surprised because Benedict XVI had spoken about it previously. He gave a human dimension to the papacy and acted as an example to all leaders, religious and non: when one is no longer in a condition - not only physical - to do their job, one has the right and the duty to resign.”


Mahony’s case is the most disputed one in the United States.

“The decision lies with him and he certainly has the legal right to vote in the Conclave, but the Pope also had the right to continue as Pope but instead chose to step down, accepting his human limits. A Pope’s physical conditions are not the only thing that can prevent him from serving to the best of his ability. We should all learn from Benedict’s example and ask ourselves whether there are obstacles and act responsibly, to ensure the common good of the institution, of the people of God and of all human beings.”


President Obama was also often criticised by the American hierarchy: how did he react?

“It is impossible for two institutions to be perfectly in line with each other. We knew there were differences but we made sure these did not paralyse us: the first conference I attended in Rome was on AIDS prevention.”


Why has Hilary Clinton never visited the Vatican?

“Organisational problems, that’s all. She told all ambassadors to do three things: listen to others, learn and lead based on what we have heard. I have done just this.”


What was your experience of the scandals during your time in the Vatican?

“Divisions do exist and all Catholics can see them. We are too divided politically, ideologically, theologically and on a regional level. What we need now is a leader who is able to say “that is enough”: this Church is Catholic, differences should not create division but opportunities.”


What do you expect from the next Conclave, an American Pope perhaps?

“It has nothing to do with nationality but quality of leadership. We need a bridge builder who can take on the world’s challenges. A manager who is able to manage God’s plan for mankind.”

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