by Joshua J. McElwee
With years of diverse experience in a role unlike any other, two former U.S. ambassadors to the Holy See just addressed attendees at NCR's "Washington Briefing" here at Trinity University in Washington, DC.
Speaking to the unique abilities of the top American diplomat at the Vatican, former ambassador Jim Nicholson said that, without some of the more pressing military or monetary concerns that face other American missions abroad, you “realize that you have the ability and obligation as the ambassador…to really focuses on moral [questions]….”
In particular, Nicholson mentioned that one of the key issues he advocated as ambassador was the fact that starvation still claims lives everyday. “Everyone who dies from starvation is every bit as dead as those who die from abortion," Nicholson said he would tell members of the Roman curia as ambassador.
Nicholson was U.S ambassador to the Holy See under President George W. Bush. He spoke to conference attendees after Tom Melady, who was ambassador under the first President Bush.
After the ambassadors' remarks, attendees were able to ask them whatever questions they had. Next up for us is NCR correspondent John Allen and NCR editor Tom Roberts on how Catholics are confronting the abuse crisis. What questions would you want to ask? Leave them in the comment field below and I'll try and get a few to John and Tom.
