Diplomatic Relations between the Holy See and the United States - Part 2

Today we present the second and final part of a series focusing on diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the United States.

While last week, our historian, Professor Gerald Fogarty SJ of the University of Virginia, took us from the years leading up to the times of the first Catholic President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, this week he goes on to speak of the years that followed.

In this interview with Veronica Scarisbrick, Professor Fogarty highlights the appointment of the first Ambassador to the Holy See from this nation. It was January 10th, twenty-seven years ago:

"... On January 10th 1984 the Holy See announced establishment of diplomatic relations. Six hours later the United States announced resumption of diplomatic relations. Now it's clear to me that there was something going on because the normal protocol is the country announces diplomatic relations... in this case the Holy See announced it first because they'd been working on it really from the time of the fourties ...the reason for the delay was that the Secretary of State of the United States , George Shultz was actually opposed to it ...the conservative protestants were all opposed but President Reagan had his Chief of Staff get the famous Evangelical Minister, Billy Graham to go around and visit the Evangelicals ...William Wilson became the first Ambassador and so the only thing that went through the Senate then, was the approval of the Ambassador, not the establishment of diplomatic relations, that was already done..."...

In this programme Professor Fogarty also defines the role of the Holy See and points to two visits to the United States on the part of two Secretaries of State from the Vatican. One which took place in 1983 when Cardinal Agostino Casaroli was received in the White House and another far earlier one in 1936 when Cardinal Pacelli, the future Pius XII, was received at the residence of the US President's mother .

Listen: