Just returned from Italy where I had drinks Tuesday with Francis Rooney, the U.S. Ambassador to The Holy See (that’s The Vatican, to you heathens). Before he took this post as a diplomat Rooney was (and still is) majority owner of Dallas-based Manhattan Construction, the fellows who are building the new $1 billion Texas Stadium for Jerry Jones. Rooney had just left a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI and President George W. Bush, and his account follows:
Rome was full of anti-war protesters, but the reception from the Pope was warm indeed. President and Mrs. Bush spent the night at the Villa Taverna, the American ambassador’s magnificent estate, then met with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano before heading off to The Vatican. Most of these official visits take about 20 minutes, but Bush met privately with Pope Benedict for almost an hour (according to Rooney, the longest visit with an American president anyone could remember). The main topics were the war and Cuba.
There was considerable “frank talk” on both sides. From the meeting Rooney attended, it was apparent “the two men have tremendous respect for each other.” But, notes Rooney, there is simply no other world leader like the Pope.
“Remember that every other leader is a politician with hidden agendas and vast arrays of constituents they must answer to,” said Rooney. “The Pope answers only to God. He is not swayed by polls or popular opinion. His is a pure voice.” What’s more, on every issue, The Pope advocates not what is the politically expedient course, “but what is moral, and right.”
Rooney’s parting message to his fellow Americans back home: “I would encourage everyone, no matter what your faith, to appreciate what an amazing asset we all have in the Pope. His messages are consistently clear, and powerful, and useful.” He gave as an example The Pope’s stance on Islamic fundamentalism and how we need to bridge the gap between Islamic faith that is radical and aggressive and Christian faith that is increasingly passive and lax. Both sides need to move to the middle, says Benedict, with an appropriate mix of passion and reason.
