Obama’s call to close Vatican embassy is ‘slap in the face’ to Roman Catholics

From the archive, 11 January 1984: Vatican and US to establish full diplomatic relations

Corrects Reagan’s mistake! I’m ok with the decision

This is no more insulting that the fact the USA also has no ambassador to Baptists, Methodists, Assemblies of God, or Hindus.

Frankly, to be fair we should not have an ambassador or embassy to the Catholic Church at all. Nothing against Catholics, just being fair to all groups.

David R. Brumbelow

On the other hand, America should do all it can around the world to promote religious liberty, and to help protect Christians and other religious groups who are persecuted.

David R. Brumbelow

[David R. Brumbelow]

This is no more insulting that the fact the USA also has no ambassador to Baptists, Methodists, Assemblies of God, or Hindus.

Frankly, to be fair we should not have an ambassador or embassy to the Catholic Church at all. Nothing against Catholics, just being fair to all groups.

David R. Brumbelow

Does the President wonder how many divisions the Pope has?

Chip,

I was thinking the same thing. The fact that Vatican City is a sovereign state places it into a different realm. Here’s another question, however, should the churches which come under the umbrella of such a sovereign state/church be considered part of the US or of that particular state?

It was a deal between the Reagan administration and John Paul. We would open official diplomatic relations with Rome (and in the process totally renounce what was left of our mostly white Anglo-Saxon Protestant heritage) and in return the Vatican would be allies in the Cold War. Not only did the move result in Catholics getting much more influence in America (long a goal of Rome) but the Catholic Church was being pressured internally (i.e. liberation theology) and externally by the Marx crowd. The Reagan administration in return got a powerful international ally/spokesman/organizer against communism that had no economic/military interests to protect and no one could accuse of being an imperialist or U.S. puppet.

Reagan, a nominal (theologically liberal if politically conservative) Protestant who was not particularly religious or observant, likely saw it is a great deal with no downsides. And the scores of Roman Catholic advisors in Reagan’s administration (Pat Buchanan et al) well you know whose side they were on.

So in one hand, Obama undid a deal that no Protestant ever should have supported to begin with. But of course, Obama’s reasons for this should not be supported by any Protestant either.

Jimmy Draper and Southern Baptist Executive Board oppose USA ambassador to the Roman Catholic Church in 1984:

http://media.sbhla.org.s3.amazonaws.com/5797,21-Feb-1984.pdf

David R. Brumbelow