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Secretary Jim Nicholson discusses the importance of the relationship between the U.S. and Vatican to the world at large.
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How important.
And you -- an important -- all of this of course during is that how important is the relationship.
Between the United States and the Vatican.
It's extremely important to to the world.
The Vatican -- diplomatic relations with a 194.
Countries in the Vatican and the Catholic Church is one of the largest purveyors.
The human assistance.
In the world and a great deal the -- sources that they get.
To.
Handout to people comes from the United States because -- the United States government the United States people and that Catholics in the pews.
Are very generous and they send a lot.
Of money and resources to Rome and the church does a very able job through its missionaries and volunteers and nongovernmental organizations.
In administering that perfect example was that great amount of assistance that we gave to Africa President Bush led us on that.
In in fighting off malaria and an -- I was very involved as our ambassador.
In that.
So that that coupling of our.
-- heard natural resource base and there they're missionaries.
The older.
Commitment to human dignity and helping people have a better life is that there's a very important partnership.
To people in the world today but especially those people more underprivileged and under developed and that you were also.
-- I guess what we could have been at all walls for the United States in some quarters.
A difficult time diplomatic lead the the invasion all of Iraq how did that -- how did that put any strain on relations -- the Vatican foursquare behind the United States.
Well there was a great -- strain.
Job -- second was not equivocal he said no to war meaning we should not invade Iraq.
On the other and is very supportive of us going into.
Afghanistan because he felt we have been attacked as we were on 9/11 that he saw.
Iraq differently but it did not affect the fundamental relationship that we had between the two countries.
And the respect that he had for President Bush because he -- President Bush's values system.
He knew what he wanted to do for people throughout the world.
And it was a great.
Values partnership and a great working partnership and in fact.
President Bush came to Rome three times to -- Pope John Paul the second that that's a record -- -- -- ever been Vista by president more times than.
He was there and they had a great mutual respect for each other and it was very -- to observe that firsthand and.
And that -- you obviously -- that -- when Pope John Paul was that.
An extraordinarily.
Popular.
Hope worldwide.
I have very different in terms of his travel and outreach -- perhaps to Pope Benedict.
And told to -- a little bit about the difference between those two popes.
John Paul the second had intangible.
-- Ability to communicate with people and -- -- quickly grasp the new media.
Of his his time even though -- by -- he was you know he is no spring chicken.
But he realized.
The value of communicating in the they exponential.
Leverage that you could get out -- going on television regularly and traveling in and being you know the international pastor of that of course -- The Pope is in making visits to countries.
And any you know he just had that issue you want to use the words showmanship but that's that's sounds sort of like -- a negative but it it isn't is just the way that he projected.
The church and projected that the law of and -- the peace the truth of the Catholic church and people responded to extraordinarily.
I had.
Visits from all kinds of people's united states of the four years we were there.
And we would take him to see the Pope in the he had the same effect and all of -- regardless of their religious strike it was just they knew they were in the presence of a of an epic figure.
Of their time.
Contrasting that with.
-- Benedict the sixteenth.
Lou I knew real wells cardinal Ratzinger is just not that kind of personality in the very humble actually pretty unique.
Sort of -- man who really didn't ever want to be Pope.
But certainly understood the importance of the position and executed -- I think very faithfully.
Does have -- the great church scholar.
Wrote some beautiful and cyclicals that we'll have a lot of shelf life to -- meaning to people in future generation but he.
It wasn't a -- if if you can grasp the difference.
