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Inside See our annual Catholic Schools Week Supplement, Criterion pages 1B-20B. Serving the Church in Central and Southern Indiana Since 1960 CriterionOnline.com January 23, 2009 Vol. XLIX, No. 15 75¢ Don’t reverse , Arturo Mari policies that L'Osservatore Romano protect the CNS photo/ unborn, cardinal urges Obama WASHINGTON (CNS)—It would be “a terrible mistake” for President Barack Obama to reverse current policies on embryonic stem-cell research, conscience protection and other life-related matters, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops told him in a new letter. Such actions “could Cardinal Francis E. George introduce significant negative and divisive factors into our national life, at a time when we need to come together to address the serious challenges facing our people,” said Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago in a letter dated Jan. 16 and made public on Jan. 19. The letter came less than a week after Cardinal George sent another letter to Obama, Vice President Joseph Biden and William A. Wilson, the first U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, is greeted by Pope John Paul II at the Vatican in 1985. President Ronald Reagan named each member of Congress outlining the Wilson as the first ambassador to the Vatican in 1984. In mid-January this year, the U.S. and Vatican marked 25 years of formal diplomatic relations. bishops’ broad policy agenda as the new administration and Congress begin their work. Once controversial, U.S.-Vatican relations “I expect that some want you to take executive action soon to reverse current policies against government-sponsored mark silver anniversary this month destruction of unborn human life,” Cardinal George said. “I urge you to VATICAN CITY (CNS)—The Vatican move. Complaints came from Americans It wasn’t long before most of the consider that this could be a terrible and the United States quietly celebrated a United for Separation of Church and criticism faded. One big reason was that mistake—morally, politically and in terms silver anniversary in mid-January, State, and even the National Council of under Pope John Paul II, who was a of advancing the solidarity and well-being marking 25 years of formal diplomatic Churches. The late Rev. Jerry Falwell, strong critic of East European of our nation’s people.” relations. who headed the Moral Majority communism, U.S. and Vatican interests Specifically, the USCCB president The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See movement, reacted by asking how long it were seen to coincide. mentioned the recently issued Department observed the event with a symposium and would be before a similar request came It wasn’t just a matter of moral of Health and Human Services regulation a dinner, where about 50 guests raised from Mecca, the chief holy city of Islam. support, but information-sharing as protecting the conscience rights of their glasses in a toast to a milestone that And, of course, lawsuits were filed, well. At one crucial moment in history, a health care providers and institutions; the today seems inevitable, but once seemed although they were eventually dismissed. few hours after a papal meeting with so-called Mexico City policy barring the unthinkable. The traditional argument against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev in use of U.S. family planning funds to The U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, U.S.-Vatican relations was that the 1989, the Vatican told the United States in promote or perform abortions in developing Mary Ann Glendon, who was to leave her a confidential assessment that Gorbachev nations; and current embryonic stem-cell post six days later to return to a teaching could be trusted as a genuine reformer. policy prohibiting federal funding of job at Harvard University, drew Today, the United States The late pope’s high profile as a research involving embryonic stem-cell appreciative laughter at the dinner when has one of the biggest defender of human rights and human lines created after 2001. she read from an 1865 letter that dignity, along with his frequent trips to Cardinal George said he hoped the new described Rome as the perfect listening and most active the United States, also made the Vatican president would “consider these comments post. embassies to the seem more like a natural ally and less in the spirit in which they are intended, as At that time, the secretary of the Holy See and has like a foreign planet. an invitation to set aside political pressures U.S. legation to the Papal States wrote to After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, See CARDINAL, page 2 his superiors in Washington and asked for launched cooperative 2001, the Vatican’s qualified support for a bigger budget so he could give “small projects with the Vatican a U.S. military response in Afghanistan but frequent entertainments” to other had embassy employees handing out diplomats and the monsignors heading in areas like human pins with the U.S. and Vatican flags. Vatican departments. trafficking and religious Today, the United States has one of “European diplomacy is carried on by freedom. the biggest and most active embassies to dinners and parties—you gather the Holy See, and has launched information this way to be obtained in no cooperative projects with the Vatican in other manner,” he wrote. Vatican—technically, the “Holy See”— areas like human trafficking and A glance around the embassy’s was first and foremost a Church, not a religious freedom. banquet tables found clerical and state, and should not be privileged by a There have been rough spots, too, diplomatic guests nodding in assent. diplomatic presence. most of them in the international arena. But if the idea of having a full-time President Franklin Roosevelt appointed As he attended Christmas midnight ambassador stationed at the Vatican seems the first envoy to the Vatican just before Mass in 1989, U.S. Ambassador Thomas like a no-brainer, that hasn’t always been World War II. But when President Harry Melady was called out of St. Peter’s the case. In 1984, President Ronald Truman tried to appoint a successor in Basilica by his aides and told that Reagan’s decision to move from an 1951, he met with a storm of protest, and Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega on-again, off-again “personal envoy” to the post went vacant for nearly 20 years. had escaped U.S. troops and taken full-fledged diplomatic relations was Reagan’s decision to elevate the position refuge in the Vatican’s nunciature in controversial to say the least. to ambassador was considered a Panama City. Melady then passed a Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists and courageous one that might cost him handwritten note during the liturgy to Protestant organizations criticized the politically. See VATICAN, page 2 Page 2A The Criterion Friday, January 23, 2009 Pope congratulates Obama on Inauguration Day VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Pope Benedict XVI, he prayed, under the new president’s hunger and violence, I pray that you will be congratulating Barack Obama on his inaugu- leadership, “may the American people confirmed in your resolve to promote ration as U.S. president, prayed that he would continue to find in their impressive religious understanding, cooperation and peace among remain steadfast in his dedication to promote and political heritage the spiritual values the nations, so that all may share in the banquet understanding, cooperation and peace in the and ethical principles needed to cooperate in of life which God wills to set for the whole world. the building of a truly just and free society.” human family,” the pope said. The pope, in a Jan. 20 telegram, told Obama The pope said he hoped the future of the Pope Benedict also asked God to bless the that he prayed God would “grant you unfailing United States would be “marked by respect Obama family and all the people of the wisdom and strength in the exercise of your for the dignity, equality and rights of each United States. high responsibilities.” of its members, especially the poor, the The pope had also sent a personal message of Popes traditionally send a telegram of outcast and those who have no voice. congratulations on Nov. 5 on what he called the congratulations to new presidents of the “At a time when so many of our brothers “historic occasion” of Obama’s election, the United States on the day of their inauguration. and sisters throughout the world yearn for first time a black man has been elected Pope Benedict XVI In his message to Obama, Pope Benedict said liberation from the scourge of poverty, president of the United States. † those people may be right. professionals who favor or oppose not diverted to organizations dedicated to CARDINAL “And if the goal is to reduce abortions, abortion to serve the basic health needs of performing and promoting abortions continued from page 1 that will not be achieved by involving the their communities,” he said. instead of reducing them.” government in expanding and promoting “Suggestions that government “Once the clear line between family and ideologies, and focus on the priorities abortions,” he added. involvement in health planning and abortion is erased, the idea and challenges that will unite us as a Commenting care will be aimed at of using family planning to reduce nation. specifically on the ‘Again, I want to express denying conscience, or abortions becomes meaningless, and “Again, I want to express our hopes for HHS conscience our hopes for your excluding Catholic and abortion tends to replace contraception as your administration, and our offer to guarantees, administration, and our other health care the means for reducing family size,” said cooperate in advancing the common good Cardinal George said offer to cooperate in providers from partici- the cardinal’s letter to Obama.