Mob threat in Italy imperils the Church and the Vatican too
- Jan 17, 2021
The pillars of the United Nations overlap the tenets of Catholic social teaching and from the inception of the U.N. in 1945, the church has encouraged the international organization while simultaneously reproving it when it drifts from its lofty goals.
Especially after the departure of Steve Bannon, it seems an open question how much influence Catholics have in President Donald Trump’s White House, despite the fact that several of the president’s top aides are actually Catholic. One observer says the door may be open to Catholics who support the president’s agenda, but closed for those not inclined to be “cheerleaders.”
As Callista Gingrich is ushered in as the new ambassador to the Vatican, an overview of the importance of the role and the experience of her predecessors illustrates the challenges and opportunities down the road. The U.S. representative will have to exercise what the former ambassador, Jim Nicholson, called a “moral diplomacy.”
Pope Francis and President Donald Trump will meet for the first time on Wednesday. Few people from the United States’ side are more privy to that meeting than former ambassadors to the Vatican. For this reason, Crux spoke with the last five people to hold this post, who gave a preview of what to expect, and shared their hypothetical advice to Trump.