United States Establishes Diplomatic Relations with the Vatican
On January 10, 1984, the United States officially reestablished diplomatic relations with the Vatican, appointing William A. Wilson as the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See. The decision to formalize relations was met with controversy, given the U.S. tradition of maintaining a separation between government and organized religion, as emphasized in the First Amendment of the Constitution. Historically, the U.S. had engaged with the Vatican in various capacities, dating back to President George Washington's appointment of a consul in the late 18th century. However, formal diplomatic ties ceased in 1867 when the U.S. stopped sending envoys following Italy's unification and the Vatican's loss of its territorial possessions. During the mid-20th century, the U.S. maintained informal relations through a special envoy until President Ronald Reagan's administration opted for a more official approach. The reestablishment of relations sparked legal challenges from various religious organizations concerned about potential government influence over the Catholic Church, yet these efforts have not been successful to date. The Vatican's role as a significant player in international politics has underscored the complexities of this diplomatic relationship.
United States Establishes Diplomatic Relations with the Vatican
The United States Establishes Diplomatic Relations with the Vatican
On January 10, 1984, the United States reestablished formal diplomatic relations with the Vatican when William A. Wilson became the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See.
This issue over diplomatic relations with the Vatican has been somewhat controversial, since the United States has a tradition, seen in the First Amendment to the Constitution, of keeping government separate from organized religion. Nevertheless, President George Washington appointed the first representative to the Holy See, a consul. In 1848, President James Polk promoted the Vatican consulate to a legation, but instructed the minister to the Vatican to “carefully avoid even the appearance of interfering in ecclesiastical questions, whether these relate to the United States or any other portion of the world.”
During the process of Italy's reunification in the 1860s, the new Italian state took the Vatican's territorial possessions around Rome, known as the Papal States. The Vatican was reduced to its present size, consisting of the area immediately surrounding the Vatican buildings in the middle of Rome. Now that the Vatican was bereft of its territorial dominions, and there was a new nation of Italy with its capital in Rome, in 1867 the United States stopped sending envoys.
In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Myron Taylor the U.S. special envoy to the Vatican, a position that Taylor held until 1950. By appointing a special envoy, the United States could maintain de facto diplomatic relations with the Vatican without having to address the politically uncomfortable fact that the Vatican was not really a nation with territory, but a church or religious institution. President Ronald Reagan, however, decided to end the charade and reestablish formal relations. Whatever its religious status, the reality was that the Vatican was an important player on the international political scene. Reagan appointed William A. Wilson as ambassador, and he was confirmed by the Senate and took his post effective January 10, 1984.
After Wilson's appointment, several organizations initiated lawsuits alleging that diplomatic relations with the Vatican violated the Constitution. The litigants included Baptist and Evangelical church organizations, whose history has involved centuries of division with the Catholic Church. There were also some Catholic litigants, concerned that American relations with the Vatican might turn into a vehicle for the government to exercise influence over papal appointments in the American clergy. As of the present date, however, these challenges have been unsuccessful.