Posted on 07/06/2009 8:14:37 PM PDT by presidio9
While there is much we do not know about Miguel Diaz, it does appear that the Papal Nuncio (the pope’s ambassador) to the United States is pleased with the decision. Archbishop Pietro Sambi called Diaz “an excellent choice because he knows very well the United States and because of his background in the Catholic Church.” We know also that he is a theologian and gifted with the ability to fluently speak multiple languages. He will have many opportunities to use these talents and will be able to optimize his experience in the Eternal City and hopefully be effective in his role.
I am somewhat concerned about his stance on life issues. His public support for the nomination as the new Health and Human Services Secretary of Kathleen Sebelius, whose pro-abortion actions as governor of Kansas are well known, is not encouraging. He has refused to comment on his own views regarding life issues.
I do believe the Vatican should object to the selection of an ambassador who does not hold pro-life views. And for the record, the church is not against adult stem-cell research, but embryonic stem-cell research.
Father Stephen Doktorczyk
St. Joachim Church
Costa Mesa
So, the pope has rejected several proposed U.S. ambassadors to the “Holy See!”
The U.S. is supposed to have a separation of church and state and should not have an “ambassador” to the “Holy See” in the first place.
There should not be any ties between our government and any church.
Establishing such ties was just another of the poor decisions made by the likable but wrong-headed Ronald Reagan. And for Rome to insist that our government appoint an ambassador that opposes abortion is absurd. This should be a good time to discontinue any such connection.
Abortion can be necessary to save the mother’s life, or for other significant medical or humanitarian reasons. Nowhere in the King James Bible does it say that birth control is wrong. The “Holy See” was the original source of this ridiculous idea that birth control of any kind is against God, and thus the “Holy See” is basically responsible for all the murders of doctors by those who ignore common sense and common civility in order to promote any dogma proposed by their church.
Jerry Parks
member, Humanist Assn. of Orange County
I had thought that the job description for an American ambassador was to represent our country’s values, and not the values of the state to which he or she is posted.
Professor Howard M. Friedman wrote: “If the Holy See wishes to appoint only ambassadors to the United States who are in conformity with the claims of the church and pontiff, that’s their business, but to reject any names (even ones where the ambassador is clearly in violation of Catholic theological doctrines) is to fundamentally misunderstand the nature of an ambassadorship by mixing up who the ambassador is supposed to be representing.”
In 1917, the British Foreign Office suggested that its representative to Vatican City “should not be filled with unreasoning awe of the pope.” Great Britain’s policy throughout the 20th Century was to appoint an ambassador of the Protestant faith. President Obama might follow that precedent, as well as the decision of one of his predecessors, Franklin Roosevelt, who sent Myron Taylor, an Episcopalian, as America’s first representative to Vatican City. He and the pope developed a close working relationship! Perhaps it is preferable for our ambassador to view the pope as a head of state and not as the ambassador’s spiritual ruler.
Rabbi Mark Miller
Temple Bat Yahm
That's right our countries values! It just so happens that the majority of Americans believe that Barack Obama's values of killing babies while they are in the womb is deplorable and wicked!
A Priest, a Humanist, and a Rabbi walk into a bar.....
Are you repeating my own joke back to me?
So, according to Rabbi Miller, Obama should feel free to send someone like Jeneane Garafalo as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, right? After all, only OUR values matter, and elections have consequences, right Rabbi?
“The U.S. is supposed to have a separation of church and state and should not have an “ambassador” to the “Holy See” in the first place.”
However, the Vatican City is a state. Therefore the Pope is also head of State.
Hey Rabbi, the US also sends ambassadors to other nominal religious states. There one on the tip of my tongue, but I just can’t name it.
And what is this with separation of church and state? There is no such policy, other than to keep the government from endorsing a particular Christian sect over another.
;)
It was the invention of Mr. Thomas Jefferson, who did many great things in his life, but was an overrated president and the inspiration for American liberalism.
BTW, I support Israel without question, but as soon as I see someone take the false notion of “seperation of church and state” for granted to make an argument, my BS meter starts pinging.
That should be addressed to the humanist. The rabbi suggested sidestepping the problem by naming a non-Catholic.
My bad. You’re right. Sorry Rabbi.
No, at least that was not my intent.
Appointing a non-Catholic doesn’t “sidestep the problem” if the proposed ambassador is openly pro-death. For instance, the US ambassador to Israel is often non-Jewish, but Israel would likely not receive an ambassador who was an open Holocaust denier.
It might be easier to find a Protestant, Jew, or even agnostic or atheist who is silent on the issue, than a “Catholic” in good graces with the Democrat machine with such a zipped lip.
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