[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 88 (Monday, May 22, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E687]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              THE HOLY SEE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. FRANCIS ROONEY

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 22, 2017

  Mr. FRANCIS ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 
recognition of the special diplomatic relationship between the United 
States and the Holy See.
   As a non-hegemonic sovereign, the Holy See plays a unique role in 
world affairs through its use of the soft power diplomacy through moral 
persuasion that only it can exert. This gives the Holy See unparalleled 
influence in diplomacy and as a mediator in international disputes.
   The United States and the Holy See have complemented each other in 
the past in combatting extremist ideologies, such as Nazism and 
communism, and on promoting human rights. From 2005-2008, I witnessed 
this first-hand as United States Ambassador to the Holy See. President 
Bush and Pope Benedict XVI worked together on combatting human 
trafficking, AIDS in Africa, promoting religious freedom and in 
denouncing radical Islamic extremism.
   The strength of this relationship depends on how highly each 
president views the Holy See's soft power in world affairs. President 
Trump's choice to visit the Vatican on his first overseas trip is a 
good step toward a close relationship between the United States and the 
Holy See going forward.

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