[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 28, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E399-E400]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HOLY SEE ARTICLES

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. FRANCIS ROONEY

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 28, 2017

  Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share 
with my colleagues several more articles that I have written over the 
years regarding the Holy See. As a Member of the Europe, Eurasia, and 
Emerging Threats Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs, these pieces serve to 
outline and inform discussions that our Committee will cover in the 
115th Congress.


                       U.S. must embrace Holy See

       The past few years have seen cordial but cooling relations 
     between the United States and the Vatican. Since President 
     Obama took office, he has visited the Vatican just once, and 
     the administration has demonstrated little more than a 
     perfunctory interest in the Holy See's diplomatic role in the 
     world. This is a lost opportunity at a critical time for 
     America. U.S. foreign policy has much to gain from its 
     relationship with the Holy See, the governing body of the 
     Catholic Church. No institution on earth has both the 
     international stature and the global reach of the Holy See--
     the ``soft power'' of moral influence and authority to 
     promote religious freedom, human liberties, and related 
     values that Americans and our allies uphold worldwide.
       President Reagan established full diplomatic relations with 
     the Holy See in 1984 because, among other reasons, he 
     realized that he could have no better partner than Pope John 
     Paul II in the fight against communism--and he was right. The 
     administration of George W. Bush continued to expand these 
     relations, even in difficult times while engaged in a 
     conflict in Iraq of which the Holy See had strongly and 
     vocally disapproved. Before President Obama's recent 
     appointment of Ken Hackett as the next U.S. ambassador to the 
     Holy See, there was growing speculation that the 
     administration was considering completely eliminating the 
     diplomatic mission, or reducing it to an appendage of the 
     Embassy in Rome. While the Obama administration has been in 
     conflict with the Catholic Church on a range of issues from 
     abortion to contraception, it is clearly in America's 
     national interests to strengthen diplomatic ties with the 
     Holy See to advance our interests around the world.
       The United States and the Holy See remain two of the most 
     significant institutions in world history, one a beacon of 
     democracy and progress, the other a sanctum of faith and 
     allegiance to timeless principles. Despite these differences 
     between the first modern democracy and the longest surviving 
     Western monarchy, both were founded on the idea that ``human 
     persons'' possess inalienable natural rights granted by God. 
     This had been a revolutionary concept when the Catholic 
     Church embraced it 2,000 years ago, and was equally 
     revolutionary when the Declaration of Independence stated it 
     1,800 years later.
       The Church is one of the leading advocates and providers 
     for the poor in the world, fights against the scourge of 
     human trafficking, and advances the cause of human dignity 
     and rights more than any other organization in the world. The 
     Holy See also plays a significant role in pursuing diplomatic 
     solutions to international predicaments. In 2007, for 
     example, the Holy See helped secure the release of several 
     British sailors who had been picked up by the Iranian navy. 
     Its long-standing bilateral relations with Iran and the lack 
     of such relations by the British and other western 
     governments created an opportunity for successful 
     intervention.
       And more recently, the Holy See issued its diplomatic note 
     concerning the civil war in Syria, calling for a ``concept of 
     citizenship'' in which everyone is a citizen with equal 
     dignity. It is urging the commissions which are working on a 
     possible future constitution and laws to ensure that 
     Christians and representatives of all other minorities be 
     involved. This immediately helped place a spotlight on the 
     plight of Christians and the ongoing exodus of all non-
     Muslims from most Middle East countries for the last 30 
     years. The power and influence of the Holy See is often 
     underestimated. A benevolent monarchy tucked into a corner of 
     a modern democracy, the Holy See is at once a universally 
     recognized sovereign representing more than a billion people 
     (one-seventh of the world's population)--and the civil 
     government of the smallest nation-state on earth. It has no 
     military and only a negligible economy, but it has greater 
     reach and influence than most nations. It's not simply the 
     number or variety of people that the Holy See represents that 
     gives it relevance; it's also the moral influence of the 
     Church, which is still considerable despite secularization 
     and scandals.
       The Holy See advocates powerfully for morality in the lives 
     of both Catholics and non-Catholics, and in both individuals 
     and nations. One may disagree with some of the Church's 
     positions and yet still recognize the value--the real and 
     practical value--of its insistence that ``right'' should 
     precede ``might'' in world affairs. At its core, the Catholic 
     Church is a powerful and unique source of non-coercive ``soft 
     power'' on the world stage--it moves people to do the right 
     thing by appealing to ideals and shared values, rather than 
     to fear and brute force. America's foreign policy is much 
     more likely to succeed with the support of the Holy See.
       Iranian President Hassan Rouhani recently gave a nod to 
     this soft power in his Washington Post op-ed when he decried 
     the ``framework that has emphasized hard power and the use of 
     brute force.'' One can speculate on the motivations and 
     intentions of such an unlikely source, but at least there is 
     an admission of the importance of diplomatic alternatives 
     which are based on persuasive fundamental principles.
       No two sovereigns are more naturally aligned than the 
     United States and the Holy See in the pursuit of diplomacy 
     founded on the core moral principles of the inalienable 
     rights of man, his essential God-granted human dignity, and 
     the right of all to religious freedom. This is rightly called 
     the ``first freedom'' because our other freedoms seldom 
     flourish in its absence.


Reflecting on the Life of Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Diplomat of the Holy 
                                  See

       The death of Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Papal Nuncio to the 
     United States for the last five years, is a great loss for 
     the diplomatic community in Washington, D.C. and for the 
     world. A veteran diplomat with many years experience in 
     Israel and Palestine, Archbishop Sambi brought a depth of 
     knowledge and personal credibility to the diplomacy of the 
     Holy See which will be greatly missed.
       Prior to his posting in Washington, Archbishop Sambi was 
     stationed in Cuba, Nicaragua, Belgium and India. As papal 
     representative to Israel and Palestine from 1998 until 2005, 
     he was instrumental in the planning and execution of the Holy 
     Land visit of Pope John Paul II in 2000 and was deeply 
     involved in the Holy See's diplomacy during the 2006 Lebanon 
     war, where the traditional power sharing coalition was 
     challenged by the presence of Hezbollah. His personal 
     credibility was important during this war in mobilizing the 
     Christian coalition there.
       His Cuba and Nicaragua experience was important in his 
     understanding of the challenges the United States faces in 
     these countries and in expressing the Holy See's goals for 
     religious freedom and pursuance of the democratic process 
     there. He was Nuncio in Nicaragua as the Sandinista 
     revolution took control of the country and challenged church 
     authority and democratic institutions there. He was involved 
     in planning Pope John Paul II's 1983 visit wherein the Pope 
     challenged Daniel Ortega and his government.
       While Archbishop Sambi was in Cuba in an earlier time, from 
     1974-1979, his efforts in working with the local church were 
     valuable in keeping the goals of freedom and tolerance alive. 
     The recent release of the last of the March 2003 political 
     prisoners in Cuba by the Castro government exemplifies the 
     valuable contributions of Holy See diplomacy, the result of 
     many leaders like Archbishop Sambi.
       He was, in short, a most qualified diplomat and a man whose 
     warmth reminded many officials of the first apostolic pro-
     nuncio to the United states, Cardinal Pio Laghi.
       In meetings with him I realized his keen understanding of 
     the unique role of religion and faith in the United States as 
     protected by the First Amendment. He realized, like his 
     predecessor Archbishop Pio Laghi, that the American 
     experiment of the First Amendment has much to offer the 
     world.
       Though it is only natural for a prominent priest to 
     proclaim the importance of religious freedom and its 
     importance in sustaining civil society, Sambi was also an 
     earnest proponent of the freedoms of speech and press. He 
     warmly received journalists in an effort to connect with an 
     American audience that went beyond the capital beltway region 
     and daily withstood anti-Catholic protestors picketing just 
     outside his office. In times of crisis within the Church and 
     without, he resolutely defended the goodness that religion

[[Page E400]]

     offers the world--peace, justice, love, and true individual 
     freedom.
       Many times he made a point of explaining that the 
     foundation of the diplomatic mission of the Holy See is 
     rooted squarely in the pursuits of freedom, tolerance and the 
     protection of human dignity. The ``soft power'' of moral 
     rectitude and persuasion is what drove the Archbishop in his 
     work.
       His death last Friday following a serious lung operation at 
     Johns Hopkins Hospital is a time for reflection on the 
     twenty-seven years of official recognition between the U.S. 
     government and the Holy See in Vatican City. In that short 
     period, the bilateral relationship has flourished into a deep 
     commitment. Together, the world's most influential state and 
     the world's smallest sovereign state combine to address 
     serious problems like human trafficking, extremist violence 
     and religious intolerance.
       As I mourn the loss of my friend, laid to rest in his 
     hometown of Sogliano al Rubicone, Italy, I am thankful for 
     his witness and example, and also have to pause and reflect 
     on the moral leadership of the United States around the 
     world, which Archbishop Sambi so deeply appreciated and 
     valued.


    Pope Francis' First Visit to U.S. Provides Historic Opportunity

       Pope Francis' highly anticipated visit to the United States 
     offers an opportunity to advance our understanding of the 
     significant role that the pope and the Holy See play in world 
     affairs. And just as important, the Papal Visit will afford 
     Pope Francis a glimpse at the fundamental values at work in 
     the United States--providing a unique occasion to inform his 
     views on crucial economic, human rights, and environmental 
     issues. Pope Francis has never visited the United States, so 
     there is a historic opportunity to demonstrate how American 
     values can help resolve many vexing global problems.
       The pope will break new ground in addressing the Joint 
     Session of Congress. By responding to Speaker Boehner's 
     historic invitation, Pope Francis will engage with the 
     Congress as no pope has previously, reinforcing his role as a 
     global leader and drawing unprecedented public attention to 
     his major diplomatic themes and objectives.
       Thus far in his papacy Pope Francis has laid out several 
     important priorities which might surface in his address and 
     broader visit to the United States.
       From the beginning, the pope has made a priority to 
     highlight the global challenge of migration and the ensuing 
     deprivation of basic human needs of people displaced from 
     their homes. The lesson of his first papal trip, to 
     Lampedusa, resonates today with the increase in refugees from 
     Syria and Africa. He urged the world to ``oppose the 
     globalization of indifference'' to the plight of these 
     people.
       Recently, in his encyclical Laudate Si, Pope Francis used 
     forceful language to call attention to environmental 
     degradation and, somewhat controversially, linked consumption 
     and waste in industrialized countries with poverty and lack 
     of opportunity in the emerging world.
       One success of this visit could be that the pope sees in 
     the United States a people who also care for their 
     environment yet offer practical solutions to reduce pollution 
     like nurturing the use of cleaner fuels, deploying advanced 
     technologies and supporting alternative energy sources 
     throughout the world.
       Another aspect of Pope Francis' diplomatic outreach has 
     been criticism of capitalism as abusive and insensitive to 
     the poor and the disadvantaged. In many respects what the 
     pope has expressed is consistent with historic Catholic 
     social teaching, descending from Rerum Novarum and Pope Leo 
     XIII, but he has brought a different tone and diction to the 
     discussion of political economy.
       This may be the greatest result of the papal visit--if Pope 
     Francis experiences something different in the United States, 
     distinct from his experience in Latin America. In Argentina, 
     broad-based corruption and crony capitalism dominate; 
     oligarchic businesses feed off of the state and provide 
     little to their workers. Many parts of Latin America, the 
     pope's basis of perspective, have significant inequality of 
     wealth, abusive governments and abridged freedoms. The 
     opportunity to rise up and achieve one's God-given talents is 
     circumscribed.
       Our challenge during his short time in the United States is 
     to draw his attention to the fundamental American values of 
     economic and personal liberty. This unique combination of 
     religious and personal freedom, as Alexis de Tocqueville 
     foresaw in the early 19th century, created an engine for 
     prosperity of its citizens unlike any previous governmental 
     experiment.
       The itinerary of Pope Francis' visit to the United States 
     represents the quintessential new world experience; 
     Washington DC, the epicenter of political power in the United 
     States and derivatively in the world. Next he will travel to 
     New York, the locus of financial power and influence in the 
     world, and the home of the United Nations, the ultimate 
     gathering place of all nations. Finally, Pope Francis will 
     stop in Philadelphia, where American democracy began. 
     Hopefully Pope Francis will depart the United States with a 
     heartfelt understanding of the good that can result when 
     political and economic institutions foster individual liberty 
     and freedom.
       Likewise, if the attention the pope draws from the citizens 
     of the United States serves to increase their understanding 
     of where he comes from and what he seeks to accomplish, 
     another important goal will have been achieved--enhanced 
     appreciation for the important and constructive role the 
     papacy and the Holy See play in the world today, in the 
     diplomatic engagement among states as well as in Catholic 
     theology.

                          ____________________