| Ambassador of the United States to the Holy See |
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|---|---|
Seal of the United States Department of State |
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| Nominator | Barack Obama |
| Inaugural holder | William Wilson |
| Formation | 1984 |
| Website | U.S. Embassy - Vatican City |
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 Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1951, President Harry S. Truman's pick of World War II hero Mark W. Clark was defeated.
Between 1951 and 1968, the United States had no official representative accredited to the Holy See. President Richard 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.
Contents |
The following is the list of United States Ambassadors to the Holy See, past and present.
| Name | Years served | Pope | U.S. President |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Wilson[2] | 1984–1986 | 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 | |
| Lindy Boggs | 1997–2001 | Bill Clinton | |
| James Nicholson | 2001–2005 | George W. Bush | |
| Francis Rooney | 2005–2008 | Benedict XVI | George W. Bush |
| Mary Ann Glendon | 2008–2009 | George W. Bush | |
| Miguel H. Díaz | 2009- | Barack Obama |
Before the establishment of official diplomatic relations, Myron Charles Taylor, an industrialist, philanthropist and diplomat (starting with World War II), served from December 1939 until 1950 as an emissary to Pope Pius XII for Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman.
On October 20, 1951, Truman nominated Mark W. Clark, a U.S. Army general and World War II hero, to be emissary to the Holy See. Clark later withdrew his nomination on January 13, 1952, following protests from U.S. Senator Tom Connally from Texas and Protestant groups.
Between 1951 and 1968, the U.S. had no official representative accredited to the Holy See.
In 1969, President Richard Nixon changed this when he appointed — as his personal representative — Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., a former U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, Nixon's 1960 Republican Vice Presidential running mate and a former U.S. Ambassador (to the United Nations, South Vietnam and West Germany).
In 1978, President Jimmy Carter followed with the appointment of Robert F. Wagner, Jr., a former Mayor of New York City, New York, and a former U.S. Ambassador to Spain.
In 2009, the seat of ambassador had remained vacant for several months because of alleged tensions between the Vatican and the Obama administration over the issues of abortion and marriage.[3] Three candidates were mentioned, including Caroline Kennedy and Douglas Kmiec, but they were ultimately not selected because of disagreement on these matters.[4][5][6]