United States Ambassador to the Holy See

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The following is the list of United States Ambassadors to the Holy See, past and present. A U.S. Ambassador serves as that country's official representative to the Holy See since formal diplomatic relations began in 1984.[1] Before the establishment of official relations, Myron Taylor served during World War II as an emissary for President Roosevelt. In 1951, President Truman's pick of a WWII hero Mark W. Clark was defeated. Between 1951 and 1968, the United States had no official representative accredited to the Holy See. President Nixon changed this when he appointed Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. as his personal representative. President Jimmy Carter followed with the appointment of former New York City mayor Robert F. Wagner, Jr.. Every ambassador to date has been a Roman Catholic.

Name Years served Pope U.S. President
William Wilson[2] 1981 - 1986 John Paul II Ronald Reagan
Frank Shakespeare 1986 - 1989 Ronald Reagan
Thomas Patrick Melady 1989 - 1993 George H. W. Bush
Raymond Flynn 1993 - 1997 Bill Clinton
Corinne Claiborne Boggs 1997 - 2001 Bill Clinton
James Nicholson 2001 - 2005 George W. Bush
Francis Rooney 2005 - 2008 Benedict XVI George W. Bush
Mary Ann Glendon Incumbent George W. Bush

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Mission Statement from the website of the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See
  2. ^ From 1981 to 1984, Wilson was Reagan's personal representative to the Holy See.

[edit] External links

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