[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 77 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 77

 Expressing the sense of Congress opposing the proposal by the United 
States Department of State to relocate the United States Embassy to the 
                               Holy See.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 16, 2014

  Mr. Duffy submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

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                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of Congress opposing the proposal by the United 
States Department of State to relocate the United States Embassy to the 
                               Holy See.

Whereas the United States Department of State has announced plans to relocate 
        the United States Embassy to the Holy See;
Whereas this action would close the freestanding embassy that has been located 
        at Aventine Hill;
Whereas the Vatican has requested that countries operate their embassies to the 
        Holy See and Italy in two different locations;
Whereas since 1984, the United States Embassy to the Holy See has been separate 
        from the Italian Embassy when Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II signed 
        an accord to establish it;
Whereas for the more than 78,000,000 Catholics in the United States and many 
        millions of others who value this relationship, any move that might 
        weaken this connection is unacceptable;
Whereas having both the Ambassador to the Holy See and the Ambassador to Rome in 
        one embassy compound will likely diminish one of their standings;
Whereas the United States relationship with the Vatican is separate and distinct 
        from the relationship with Rome, a distinction that should be 
        consistently maintained;
Whereas this should continue to be the standard that the United States meets; 
        and
Whereas simply providing a separate entrance and address to the same complex 
        fails to recognize the importance of United States-Vatican relations and 
        this instead strives for the bare minimum: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress opposes the United States Department of State efforts to 
close the freestanding United States Embassy located at Aventine Hill.
                                 <all>