Pope Benedict XVI Blog

Bush and Benedict

Inside the Vatican
An exclusive interview with the US Ambassador to the Holy See, Francis Rooney

By Serena Sartini

On June 9, President George Bush of the USA will visit Rome and meet Pope Benedict XVI. The US ambassador to the Holy See, Francis Rooney, agreed to sit down with Inside the Vatican correspondent Serena Sartini to discuss his expectations for the upcoming meeting. The interview touches on a possible visit by Benedict to the United States, the UN, and Ground Zero, and the general status of the relationship between the United States and the Holy See. The interview also touches on the war in Iraq and conflict in Lebanon.

INSIDE THE VATICAN: What is the current status of relations between the Holy See and the United States?

FRANCIS ROONEY: I think the whole world wanted to see what kind of papacy Pope Benedict would lead, and how it might depart from that of Pope John Paul II. And for us here, we have a vital interest in his priorities, in the changes that he has made. We meet with the Secretariat of State officials quite often, with Archbishop Mamberti and others, and we have become acquainted with them. And we certainly have great interest in the Holy Father's views, and expressions of concern, about Islamic fundamentalism, and the remarks he has made about the role of reason in religion, and the possible ramifications of nuances of those expressions for the world, and in terms of how to seek moderation and tolerance - for all religions - so that we can get along a little better. That seems to me to be one of the major points of priority for the Holy Father. He has spoken quite a lot about terrorism, on religion and reason, and about how all that has implications for Europe. Our country is interested in what the Holy Father has to say in these things, especially the ones that affect freedom; and the interpretation of religious fundamentalism certainly affects freedoms. As we are seeing in various parts of the world, freedoms are compromised by extremists, and that's not good. And the Holy Father, as one of the leading moral authorities in the world, has shown that he has a great role to play and a great impact on how the world views these issues. So we're fortunate to be here, to learn and to interact with the Holy See as they exercise moral authority in the world.
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posted by Dr. Denice Hanley, DPM, M.Div. @ 2:40 PM