U.S. move of Vatican embassy draws fire (moved, not closed)

[Recursion]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/us-move-of-vatican-embassy-draws-fire/2013/11/26/3c8af05e-56db-11e3-bdbf-097ab2a3dc2b_story.html

In case you see RWers whine about this: The US is not closing its embassy to the Holy See and has not contemplated such a measure. The embassy is moving to share facilities with the US Embassy to the Italian Republic and the US Embassy to the Most Serene Republic of San Marino (yes, really) in a single building. This both saves money and makes less of a security headache for the Marine guards. The ambassador to San Marino is concurrently the ambassador to Italy, but the Holy See will retain a dedicated ambassador and diplomatic corps.

There will still be a US embassy to the Holy See; there is by definition an embassy where there is an accredited ambassador (ours is currently Ken Hackett, former President of the Catholic Relief Services). And this isn't particularly new; enclaves often share embassy facilities with the surrounding country. Our embassy to the Maldives is physically located in Colombo, Sri Lanka and shares facilities and personnel with the Embassy to Sri Lanka. (The Holy See won't be sharing an ambassador with Italy.)

To summarize:

There was never an "Embassy to the Vatican" or "Embassy to Vatican City".
There was, still is, and will continue to be an Embassy to the Holy See, with a dedicated ambassador.
This embassy will be sharing facilities and support personnel with the Embassies to Italy and San Marino, but will retain (at least some of) its own diplomatic corps.

[davidpdx]

1. It makes sense to share facilities given the strain of resources

The grouping of enclaves with neighbors makes sense as well.

[MADem]

2. Can't believe how STOOOOOOPID some of these former "ambassadors"

are behaving. I mean, come off it-that's a patronage job, it's political, and all the "ambassador" has to be is a vociferous Roman Catholic. The biggest blowhard on that list is Ray Frigging Flynn! What a jerk!

And there's nothing wrong with the US Embassy compound--that's a sweet address. On a nice day you can walk or take a bus over to the Vatican.

Good old Francis understands how it's a smart thing to pinch the odd penny--that way you save money to do good, hopefully, with it.

We're not talking about a massive staff, anyway--there's only a half dozen or so, and they only work a half day, if that, most days. Try calling some of those idiots, they're never there. Now, with cellphones, they can at least stay in touch from poolside, leisurely lunch, or golf course, but in the old days, it was "No Work Today" often as not.

The relocated embassy will be 0.1 miles closer to the Vatican, putting the distance at about 1.9 miles between the two.

Former U.S. Ambassador James Nicholson called the move a “massive downgrade” in U.S.-Vatican ties, turning the Vatican embassy “into a stepchild of the embassy to Italy,” in an interview with the National Catholic Reporter.

Former U.S. representatives to the Vatican — Francis Rooney, Mary Ann Glendon, Raymond Flynn, Thomas Melady — also objected.

In the past, the Vatican has insisted that countries maintain embassies to the Holy See and to Rome in separate locations, but it hasn’t protested the U.S. relocation. The State Department official said that while the embassies will be located on the same compound, the Vatican embassy will have separate entrances.

If I had to guess, I'd say those guys don't want anyone from STATE/Italy (the people who do the real work) noticing what a skate job they've got. If they're on the compound, they'll notice whose car isn't parked out in the lot, or whose office doesn't have a light in the window....

[stevenleser]

3. Several other countries have already consolidated their embassies in Rome. Panama for one.

Panama's embassies to the holy see and to Italy are now in one building as well, on different floors.

Having two different buildings for diplomatic missions in the same city is wasteful.

[LumosMaxima]

4. Saw your headline a couple of hours ago

But I didn't read it . . . the unavoidable RWNJ in my life just said, "Did you see they're closing the embassy?! I bet it's because of the contraceptive issue!"

[Recursion]

6. I can assure you this is about nothing substantive

This is literally a question of saving a few hundred thousand dollars a year, and with the sequester this is the kind of BS we're left searching for...

[LumosMaxima]

8. Oh, I know that.

But the person to whom I am referring was really hoping it was another "scandal."

[Laelth]

5. k&r for the truth. n/t

-Laelth