Holy See–United States relations
Encyclopedia
United States – Holy See relations are bilateral relations between the United States
and the Holy See
. The principal U.S. official is Ambassador Miguel H. Diaz
. The Holy See is represented by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò
, who assumed office on October 19, 2011. The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See is located in Rome
in the Villa Domiziana. The Nunciature to the United States is located in Washington, D.C.
at 3339 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
from 1797 under President Washington
and Pope Pius VI to 1867 and President Grant and Pope Pius IX. Diplomatic relations existed with the Pope
, in his capacity as head of
the Papal States, from 1848 under President Polk to 1867 under President Andrew Johnson
, though not at the ambassadorial level. These relations lapsed when on February 28, 1867 Congress passed legislation that prohibited any future funding to United States diplomatic missions to the Holy See. This decision was based on mounting anti-Catholic sentiment in the United States, fueled by persistent and unfounded rumors, such as the alleged involvement of the Vatican in the conspiracy to murder President Lincoln
, and the allegation that the Pope had forbidden the celebration of Protestant religious services, previously held weekly in the home of the American Minister in Rome, within the walls of the city. That prohibition lasted until September 22, 1983, when it was repealed by the so called "Lugar
Bill".
, however, designated personal envoy
s to visit the Holy See periodically for discussions of international humanitarian and political issues. Myron Charles Taylor
was the first of these representatives, serving Presidents Roosevelt and Truman from 1939 to 1950. Presidents Nixon
, Ford
, Carter
, and Reagan
also appointed personal envoys to the Pope.
The Vatican has historically been accused of being un-American
, at least until the presidency of John F. Kennedy
(see nativism
and anti-Catholicism in the United States
). The bulk of the accusation is found in Paul Blanshard
's book American Freedom and Catholic Power, which attacked the Holy See on grounds that it was a dangerous, powerful, foreign and undemocratic institution.
confirmed William A. Wilson
as the first U.S. ambassador to the Holy See. Ambassador Wilson had been President Reagan's personal envoy to the Pope since 1981. The Holy See named Archbishop Pio Laghi as the first Apostolic Nuncio (equivalent to ambassador
) of the Holy See to the U.S. Archbishop Laghi had been Pope John Paul II
's apostolic delegate to the Catholic Church in the United States since 1980.
Following the September 11 attacks and the beginning of the US war on terrorism
from 2001, the Vatican has been critical of the war on terrorism in general, and particularly critical of the US policies in Iraq.
On July 10, 2009 President Barack Obama
and Pope Benedict XVI met in Rome.
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3819.htm#relations
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
. The principal U.S. official is Ambassador Miguel H. Diaz
Miguel H. Díaz
Miguel Humberto Díaz is the current United States Ambassador to the Holy See. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 5, 2009. He was formerly a Professor of Theology at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University in Minnesota. He was nominated by President Barack Obama and is...
. The Holy See is represented by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò
Carlo Maria Viganò
Carlo Maria Viganò JUD is, since 19 October 2011, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States. He previously served as Secretary-General of the Governatorate of Vatican City State, from 16 July 2009 to 3 September 2011.-Early life:...
, who assumed office on October 19, 2011. The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See is located in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in the Villa Domiziana. The Nunciature to the United States is located in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
at 3339 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
1797–1867
The United States maintained consular relations with the Papal StatesPapal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
from 1797 under President Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
and Pope Pius VI to 1867 and President Grant and Pope Pius IX. Diplomatic relations existed with the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
, in his capacity as head of
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
the Papal States, from 1848 under President Polk to 1867 under President Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
, though not at the ambassadorial level. These relations lapsed when on February 28, 1867 Congress passed legislation that prohibited any future funding to United States diplomatic missions to the Holy See. This decision was based on mounting anti-Catholic sentiment in the United States, fueled by persistent and unfounded rumors, such as the alleged involvement of the Vatican in the conspiracy to murder President Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
, and the allegation that the Pope had forbidden the celebration of Protestant religious services, previously held weekly in the home of the American Minister in Rome, within the walls of the city. That prohibition lasted until September 22, 1983, when it was repealed by the so called "Lugar
Dick Lugar
Richard Green "Dick" Lugar is the senior United States Senator from Indiana and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the Senate in 1977, he is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and was its chairman from 1985 to 1987 and 2003 to 2007...
Bill".
1867–1984
From 1867 to 1984, the United States did not have diplomatic relations with the Holy See. Several presidentsPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, however, designated personal envoy
Envoy (title)
In diplomacy, an Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary is, under the terms of the Congress of Vienna of 1815, a diplomat of the second class, ranking between an Ambassador and a Minister Resident....
s to visit the Holy See periodically for discussions of international humanitarian and political issues. Myron Charles Taylor
Myron Charles Taylor
Myron Charles Taylor was one of the major figures in American life during the first half of the twentieth century...
was the first of these representatives, serving Presidents Roosevelt and Truman from 1939 to 1950. Presidents Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
, Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
, and Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
also appointed personal envoys to the Pope.
The Vatican has historically been accused of being un-American
Un-American
Un-American is a pejorative term of US political discourse which is applied to people or institutions in the United States seen as deviating from US norms....
, at least until the presidency of John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
(see nativism
Nativism (politics)
Nativism favors the interests of certain established inhabitants of an area or nation as compared to claims of newcomers or immigrants. It may also include the re-establishment or perpetuation of such individuals or their culture....
and anti-Catholicism in the United States
Anti-Catholicism in the United States
Strong political and theological positions hostile to the Catholic Church and its followers was prominent among Protestants in Britain and Germany from the Protestant Reformation onwards. Immigrants brought them to the American colonies. Two types of anti-Catholic rhetoric existed in colonial society...
). The bulk of the accusation is found in Paul Blanshard
Paul Blanshard
Paul Beecher Blanshard was a controversial American author, assistant editor of The Nation magazine, lawyer, socialist, secular humanist, and from 1949 an outspoken critic of Catholicism....
's book American Freedom and Catholic Power, which attacked the Holy See on grounds that it was a dangerous, powerful, foreign and undemocratic institution.
1984–present
The United States and the Holy See announced the establishment of diplomatic relations on January 10, 1984. On March 7, 1984, the SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
confirmed William A. Wilson
William A. Wilson
William Albert Wilson was an American diplomat and businessman from Los Angeles.-Early years:His father was an engineer in the oil-tool business and his mother a Canadian...
as the first U.S. ambassador to the Holy See. Ambassador Wilson had been President Reagan's personal envoy to the Pope since 1981. The Holy See named Archbishop Pio Laghi as the first Apostolic Nuncio (equivalent to ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
) of the Holy See to the U.S. Archbishop Laghi had been Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
's apostolic delegate to the Catholic Church in the United States since 1980.
Following the September 11 attacks and the beginning of the US war on terrorism
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
from 2001, the Vatican has been critical of the war on terrorism in general, and particularly critical of the US policies in Iraq.
On July 10, 2009 President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and Pope Benedict XVI met in Rome.
See also
- Foreign relations of the United StatesForeign relations of the United StatesThe United States has formal diplomatic relations with most nations. The United States federal statutes relating to foreign relations can be found in Title 22 of the United States Code.-Pacific:-Americas:-Caribbean:...
- Diplomatic relations of the Holy See
- List of meetings between the President of the United States and the Pope
- Nunciature of the Holy See in Washington DC
External links
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3819.htm#relations