U.S.-Vatican relations: 20 years of cooperation as well as clashes

Published: 2004-04-02

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- They have clashed on war in Iraq, joined moral forces to help topple the Soviet empire, supported each other's human rights campaigns and crossed paths on a variety of humanitarian issues. Since full diplomatic ties were established 20 years ago, U.S.-Vatican relations have been anything but dull. The current ambassador to the Vatican, Jim Nicholson, hit the positive points in a talk March 31 to diplomats and church officials. In his view, the Bush administration and the Vatican are working from different angles on the same moral agenda; in his 20-minute speech, he used the word "partnership" six times. Most Vatican officials would agree that there's deep sympathy at the Holy See toward the ideals of democracy, freedom and generosity professed by U.S. leaders. But when it comes to implementing those ideals, differences arise. The two Iraqi wars are the most prominent examples of U.S.-Vatican divergence. In both cases, Pope John Paul II argued forcefully against a military invasion, believing peaceful options had not been exhausted.

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