Interview With Mary Ann Glendon, United States Ambassador to the Holy See
(26 Mar 08 - RV) The United States Ambassador to the Holy See, Mary Ann Glendon,
presented her credentials to Pope Benedict on February 29th of this year.
Prior to her appointment, Ambassador Glendon was the Learned Hand Professor of Law
at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1995, Pope John Paul II appointed
her head of the Vatican delegation to the U.N. Conference on Women in Beijing. In
March 2004, the same Pope named her President of the Pontifical Academy of Social
Sciences. In addition to teaching at Harvard, she has been a visiting professor at
the Pontifical Gregorian University and the Regina Apostolorum Athenaeum, both here
in Rome. She sat down with Charles Collins for a 14 minute interview, discussing
her work, Pope Benedict's upcoming trip to the United States, and her plans on marking
the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United
States and the Holy See....
HERE ARE
SOME EXCERPTS FROM THE INTERVIEW.
CHARLES COLLINS: YOU ARE VERY
FAMILIAR WITH ROME, AND HAVE SERVED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE, AS IT WERE, REPRESENTING
THE HOLY SEE IN VARIOUS CAPACITIES. WHAT EFFECT DOES THAT HAVE ON YOUR PRESENT POSITION?
Ambassador
Glendon: Most of the work that I did for the Holy See over the past several years
has been as an academic, as a person whose scholarly work and research was concentrated
in fields that are central to the common concerns of the United States and the Holy
See, human rights in particular, so the big transition for me is really from chiefly
academic work to a more public and political role.
CC: YOU HAVE STARTED YOUR
JOB, WELL YOU HAVE A RUNNING START BECAUSE NEXT MONTH THE POPE WILL BE VISITING THE
UNITED STATES. HOW ARE THE PREPARATIONS GOING IN THE UNITED STATES FOR THIS VISIT?
Ambassador
Glendon: The planning for the visit are largely in the hands of the Holy See on this
end, and the American Catholic Bishops on the other end, and as far as I can see the
preparations are well in place and there is a good deal of anticipation on both sides
of the Atlantic about the visit.
CC: ON A POLITICAL LEVEL, THE POPE WILL BE
MEETING WITH PRESIDENT BUSH IN THE WHITE HOUSE. CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THIS ENCOUNTER?
Ambassador
Glendon: The announcement from the White House is interesting. It is a very short
announcement, but the wording is significant. It says that the Pope and the President
will continue the discussions that they have been having about the role of faith and
reason in advancing their shared goals. I think that is significant, because that
word “continue” relates to the fact that apparently the last time they met they developed
a personal relationship: They hit it off, so to speak. They both said afterward that
they had enjoyed the conversation and the companionship of the other, so I think they
have something to build on. And it is interesting that the announcement picked up
the theme of faith and reason, which is so central to this pontificate. And then
when the announcement went on to speak of the shared goals, it spoke of the common
interest in promoting tolerance and understanding among cultures and religions. It
spoke of promoting peace in the Middle East and other troubled regions. It spoke
of promoting human rights and especially religious freedom.
CC: WE JUST MARKED
THE FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE U.S. LED INVASION OF IRAQ. THE HOLY FATHER HAS BEEN
CALLING ATTENTION TO THE PLIGHT OF CHRISTIANS AND OTHER RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN IRAQ.
LAST MONTH, THE ARCHBISHOP OF MOSUL, PAUL FARAJ RAHHO WAS MURDERED, THE LATEST IN
A SERIES OF ATTACKS ON THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY. WHAT IS THE UNITED STATES DOING TO
HELP PROTECT RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN THE COUNTRY?
Ambassador Glendon:
As you know both the president and the Holy Father issued statements after the murder
of the Archbishop, statements that are very much in the same vein, condemning the
violence, condemning terrorism, and especially condemning religion as a pretext for
terrorism. And of course both the Holy See and the United States have as a central
concern the plight of Christians and other minorities in Iraq. They have both pledged
to do what they can, but it is a very difficult situation when there are elements
in society that are determined to defeat the common aim of the United States and the
Holy See, now, after some initial disagreement there is a common aim to promote the
building of a free and democratic and stable society where persons of all religious
faiths will be protected, but it is an uphill battle all the way. I think we are
making some progress, but it is very, very difficult.