[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12528]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        TRIBUTE TO PIETRO SAMBI, APOSTOLIC NUNCIOTO TO THE U.S.

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN B. LARSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 29, 2011

  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that 
I rise today to inform my colleagues of the recent passing of The Most 
Reverend Pietro Sambi, who was the Titular Archbishop of Bellicastrum 
and the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, on July 27 at Johns 
Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He was 73 years old.
  Archbishop Sambi was born in Sogliano at Rubicone (Forli-Cesena), 
Italy on the 27th day of June, 1938. He was a respected scholar who had 
doctorates in both theology and canon law and spoke Italian, English, 
French and Spanish. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Roman 
Catholic Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro on March 14, 1964, and began 
his distinguished career in the diplomatic service of the Vatican's 
Secretariat of State in 1969.
  His overseas assignments included sensitive postings to Cameroon, 
Cuba, Algeria, Nicaragua, Belgium, India, Indonesia and Cyprus. In 
2000, Archbishop Sambi led discussions with Israeli religious and 
political leaders orchestrating Pope John Paul II's historic visit to 
Jerusalem. As the Papal representative to Israel in 2002, Archbishop 
Sambi reportedly helped end a 39-day standoff between Israeli troops 
and Palestinian militants, who had holed up inside the Church of the 
Nativity in Bethlehem.
  Pope Benedict XVI named Archbishop Sambi as the Apostolic Nuncio to 
the United States on December 17, 2005, and he was installed in early 
2006. Shortly after his appointment, he toured the damage left by 
Hurricane Katrina. He was deeply involved in efforts to introduce Pope 
Benedict to American Catholics and he accompanied the Pope during his 
April 2008 visit to the U.S. and hosted him at the Apostolic 
Nunciature, where the Pope held a historic private meeting with five 
victims of clergy sexual abuse. In September of 2010, he presided at a 
Mass to mark the 13th anniversary of the death of Blessed Mother 
Teresa, which coincided with the U.S. Postal Service's issuance of a 
commemorative stamp in her honor.
  Archbishop Sambi received numerous tributes and honors over the 
years, especially for his ecumenical activities and efforts to increase 
and secure access to religious sites in the Holy Land.
  Like many of my colleagues, I had the honor of knowing Archbishop 
Sambi through my friend Luca Ferrari, the former Minister Counselor for 
Public and Legislative Affairs at the Embassy of the Republic of Italy 
here in Washington. The Archbishop was always willing to gently inform 
us on theology as well the critical international issues of the day. He 
was an amiable conversationalist and a good friend, and will be greatly 
missed by so many of us here in Washington, DC, as well by family, 
friends and colleagues around the world.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to conclude by urging all of our colleagues 
to join me in paying tribute to Archbishop Pietro Sambi's service to 
international relations and understanding, and to express our 
condolences to his family for their loss. Thank you.

                          ____________________