News from this week’s Catholic Herald (front page).
Pope Benedict XVI’s “extraordinary leadership” promises to advance co-operation between the United States and the Holy See, President Barack Obama told a delegation of American Catholic journalists last week.
The “round table” meeting was held at the White House in anticipation of the American President’s first meeting with the Pope, which takes place this evening in Rome. It was widely seen as an attempt by President Obama to reach out to American Catholics, many of whom - including 90 bishops - were critical of his appearance at Notre Dame University to receive an honorary degree in May.
According to the President, the Middle East, worldwide poverty and climate change are all key areas which could see “additional cooperation” between the Obama adminstration and the Church. During the 45-minute meeting President Obama told journalists that a papal meeting was similar to a diplomatic exchange “with any other government”, but that it was especially important.
The President said: “This is more than just that. The Catholic Church has such a profound influence worldwide and in our country. The Holy Father is a thought leader and an opinion leader on so many wide-ranging issues and his religious influence is one that extends beyond the Catholic.”
The Pope is expected to discuss more contentious issues with the President, including his administration’s liberal attitude towards abortion and its renewed support for embryonic stem-cell research. President Obama has been criticised for threatening to rescind a “conscience clause” which allowed American healthcare workers to choose not to participate in procedures which violate their religious or ethical beliefs.
However, the President said he was a “great believer” in conscience clauses and that “robust changes” were under way.
The American President spoke about his personal experience of the Catholic Church, saying: “Part of why establishing a relationship with the [American] bishops is important to me is because I have very fond memories of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, who was in Chicago when I first arrived to be a community organiser … working with Catholic parishes on the south side of Chicago. And so I know the potential that the bishops have to speak out forcefully on issues of social justice.”
He added: “I think there are going to continue to be areas where we have profound agreements and there are going to be some areas where we disagree. That’s healthy.”
Unexpectedly, support for the American President came last week from a former papal theologian, the Swiss-born Cardinal George Cottier. The 87-year-old praised President Obama’s “humble realism”, saying his approach to ethical issues resembled the thinking of St Thomas Aquinas and the early Christian tradition, which recognised that changing society “happened along a slow path”.
President Obama also said his family had yet to join a church in Washington - instead he receives “a daily devotional” to his BlackBerry.
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