archives

French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, 65, is a veteran Vatican diplomat, the former “Foreign Minister” of the Holy See, who today serves as President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. On September 10, L’Avvenire, the official newspaper of the Italian bishops’ conference, published an interview with Tauran by noted journalist Gianni Cardinale. Among other topics, Tauran discussed the upcoming visit of Pope Benedict XVI to France. The following is an NCR translation of that interview.

On Dec. 20, 2007, French President Nicolas Sarkozy was inducted as an Honorary Canon of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, a traditional privilege of the French head of state since the era of Henry IV in the 16th century. During the ceremony, Sarkozy delivered an address on church/state relations in the famous Hall of Conciliation at St. John Lateran, the room in which Benito Mussolini and Cardinal Pietro Gasparri signed the Lateran Pacts in 1929 healing the rift between the Vatican and the Italian state. Sarkozy’s speech has been cited as a turning point in French attitudes towards the public role of religion. Since the era of the French Revolution, the concept of laïcité, usually rendered in English as “secularism,” has produced a strong separation between church and state, which, according to critics, has at times meant hostility towards religion. Laïcité was formally inscribed as a matter of French law in 1905. The following are translated extracts from Sarkozy’s speech, cited on Tuesday by Vatican spokesperson Fr. Federico Lombardi as important background material for Pope Benedict XVI’s Sept. 12-15 trip to France.

Margaret Silf will speak at St Francis Xavier Church on West 16th Street Sunday Sept 28 at 7pm.Her topic will be Finding a True Course--Using the Soul's Inner Compass in Everyday Life. A donation of $20 at the door or $15 for early registration--see www.layspirits.org

By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.
Rome

Perhaps the most influential China-watcher in Rome has cautioned against optimism about breakthroughs in relations between the Vatican and Beijing, saying that current Chinese policy amounts to “preserving control of the church at all costs.”

Fr. Bernardo Cervellera, a member of the Pontifical Institute of Foreign Missions who directs the Rome-based “Asia News” service, said authorities in China today are “deeply worried” about two trends: A burgeoning religious renewal across the country, as well as a growing intersection between human rights activists and forces demanding greater religious freedom.

Not once, but at least in seven speeches so far since being nominated the Vice Presidential candidate on the Republican McCain ticket, Governor Sarah Palin said to the American people and the world "I told Congress: 'Thanks but no thanks for that Bridge to Nowhere up in Alaska.’ “If we wanted a bridge, we'll build it ourselves.’"

If Palin can mislead people openly now about her own pursuit and true acceptance of earmarked money from Congress, while condemning earmark spending and/or making it sound as if she is against earmark spending, who believes that she and McCain will not continue to resort to this type of deceitfulness if they are elected? Has she lost credibility by resorting to this Rovian politics of deceit?