Does the US need an ambassador to the Vatican?

[SecularMotion]

Obama Still to Name U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican

The Obama administration and the Vatican haven’t enjoyed the smoothest relationship over the past four years. In the wake of the Affordable Care Act, more than 40 Catholic organizations brought lawsuits against the administration, in opposition to the law’s mandate that Catholic hospitals and charities have to comply with its perspective on birth control.

But the president has a symbolic gesture coming up that could patch up or further unnerve the U.S.-Vatican relationship. He has to appoint an ambassador to the Holy See, a position that has been left unfilled since the election. This appointment, as the National Catholic Register explains, is “a test for the kind of relations the administration wishes to have with the Catholic Church in President Obama’s second term.” And that test has no easy answer for an administration that supports abortion rights and contraception.

“This is a particularly awkward position for the Obama administration to fill,” says Maureen Ferguson, a senior policy analyst with the Catholic Association, an advocacy group. It would seem “quite undiplomatic,” she says, to send an ambassador whose views are offensive to the Vatican.

But the job isn’t to act as a political prop; it is to be the United States' representative working with the Vatican on foreign policy initiatives.

http://www.govexec.com/management/2013/03/obama-still-name-us-ambassador-vatican/61860/

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[struggle4progress]

1. Consular relations would have been adequate

[No Vested Interest]

2. How do other countries

which might have an official conflict re certain policies handle this?
There must be a number of them.

[moobu2]

3. I think we do because the Vatican is above all a political entity masquerading as something else.

It's basically the remnants of the Roman Empire and when not involved in covering up it's own crimes it constantly meddles in other countries internal political affairs. Like it or not, it's a powerful force in the world so no matter how objectionable it is it benefits us to have whatever influence we can with them.

Like this.

Beijing warns new Pope against meddling in China’s internal affairs

China has warned the Vatican to stop interfering in China’s internal affairs and called on the newly elected pope to adopt a “practical and flexible” attitude.


Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Thursday that Beijing hoped that the new Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis I, create conditions to improve China-Vatican relations.

Hua said that China had "two basic principles in dealing with relations with the Vatican," which has been cut since 1951.

"It should sever its so-called diplomatic relations with Taiwan and recognize the Chinese government as the sole legal representative of all of China,” she said.

"The Vatican should not interfere in China's internal affairs, including under the pretext of religion," she added.

China has an estimated 12 million Roman Catholics, and appoints bishops without papal approval.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/03/15/293673/beijing-warns-pope-on-meddling-in-china/

[pinto]

5. presstv.ir

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

7. I would say that you have a basic misunderstanding

Anyone who says "[The Vatican is] basically the remnants of the Roman Empire and when not involved in covering up it's own crimes it constantly meddles in other countries internal political affairs" is speaking in ignorance.

First, the last remnant of the Roman Empire was either the Byzantine Empire (which fell in 1453) or the Austro-Hungarian Empire, whose claim to being the successor of the Holy Roman Empire is historically impeccable (albeit the Holy Roman Empire's claim to being the successor state to the Roman Empire is certainly peccable).

Second, the last time the Vatican interfered in another country's internal affairs was in Poland in the 1980s. I daresay that most people would say that Pope John Paul II's support of Solidarity was A Good Thing.

What is happening in China is not the Vatican interfering in China, it is rather the Chinese government interfering with the Catholic Church. The Chinese government suffers no rivals, like all dictatorships.

[kwassa]

4. Cokie Roberts' mother was ambassador to the Vatican.

Lindy Boggs.

[hrmjustin]

6. Yes because it is a nation.

It signed a treaty with Italy and Italy gave them their territory for them to make a nation.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

8. That's a bit of an oversimplification

The Papal States used to be essentially the middle third of Italy. Look up Risorgimento in any history of 19th century Europe or Italy.