Andrea Mitchell has spoken of how Kerry and the Vatican have been working on Cuba [View all]

[karynnj]

for about 18 months -- since Francis became Pope and Kerry SoS. There is huge credit due Obama and Kerry for the steps to normalize relations. Many threads in the main DU forums will speak of the importance and the politics. The Pope's role should really give Obama some cover here. It is interesting to see how this could be a game changer for our relationship with Latin America. (The summit in April will be fascinating)

However, as a Kerrycrat, one thing that immediately came to mind was how fantastic it has to be for this practicing Catholic, Jesuit law school educated Secretary of State to be on the same team as the current Jesuit Pope. I remembered that a half year ago, he wrote an oped for the Boston Globe speaking of working with the Vatican on human dignity. This is obviously a different issue, but this likely has to be a very sweet accomplishment.

Last month, I traveled to Rome with President Obama, where I was honored to meet His Holiness Pope Francis. As an altar boy six decades ago, I never imagined that I would find myself crossing the threshold of the Vatican to see the Bishop of Rome.

My wife, Teresa, and I took our own pilgrimage three years ago at Easter to Assisi, and traveled to Porziuncala to see the chapel which St. Francis restored out of the rubble, one of his own special ways of acting upon the prophecy visited upon him to “repair my house.” Two years later, Teresa and I sat in Mass at Georgetown as our priest shared the moving story of the moment Pope Francis decided to take Francis for his name as the Holy Father – after the Cardinal from Brazil shared his caution not to “forget the poor.”


Today, all the world knows that this was more than a symbolic statement by Pope Francis, but rather the start of a mission that is now an example to the world
Today, as the first Catholic secretary of state in 33 years, I find special joy and pride in the way that the United States can partner with the Holy See to help meet some of our greatest global challenges.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2014/04/19/cooperating-with-vatican-against-modern-slavery/5yQWBqDf9xF320ruta08rN/story.html