Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-03
Vatican Envoy


1 was shocked to read Con-
stantine Browns column De-
cember 81, urging appoint
ment of an American Am
baSsador to the Vatican. It
seems incredible that a re-
sponsible columnist, under the
guise of a plea for peace,
would actually provoke inter-
credal stife in our country
at this critical moment of its
history. Mr.. Brown states that
former President Humans
nomination Of Gen. Mark
Clark had to be withdrawn
because of "the objections of
a powerful lobby" This is not
factual statement. The fact
is that this unfortunate APP
pointment drew quite Spon-
taneouS outburst of protests
from all over the country.
Several members OF the Senate
are on record as stating that
the heaviest volume of protest
mail in history descended up
on that body as the result of
this action which so seriously
violated the American tradi-
ton.
The fact is that the Ameri-
can people do not believe in
IN kind of mingling of church
and state which the appoint
ment of an envoy TO the Vati-
can would typify. The Vatican
is chuych-state both at the
same time. 1t is the presence
and rule there of the Pope. the
head of the Roman Catholic
denomination, that lends it its
significance. An Ambassador
to the Vatican cannot avoid
being an Ambassador to the
Pope as religious leader.
Americans would not coun-
tenance the appointment of a
diplomatic representative to
the head of any church. This
violates our confirmed prin-
ciple of church-state separa-
ton.
Mr.. Browns arguments are
still the same diScredited
cliches. If the Vatican has any
value as a listening post"
then certainly the Ambassador
to Italy, a block or two from
the Vatican. could do his
Necessary listening from that
vantage point. If the Pope has
any really vital information
for our State Department, he
would certainly not withhold
it in the absence of formal
diplomatic representation. 1t
Is a well known fact that the
Taylor mission turned up
nothing but a lot of pious talk
about peace which can be
had without an Ambassador.
Those who seek to reopen
this old wound of religious
controversy do the country no
service. Let us maintain the
erican tradition: all
churches equal before the law
with official privileges to none.
G. Stanley Lowell,
Associate. Director. Profess
tants and Other Amer
leans United for Separa-
ton of Church and State.
\
Constantine Brown tries to
Justify sending representa-
tive to the Vatican by referring
to the fact that we have rep
reSentativeS in countries like
Bulgaria, Poland and the
USSR. But he failed to men,
ton that we have an Ambas-
sador to Italy, and that this
Ambassador is stationed in
Rome. the city in which the
Vatican is located. 1t would
seem that any pertinent infor-
nation that was available to
the Vatican could and would
be transmitted to our Govern
ment through our Ambassador
to Italy. American Citizen.
4
Mr.. Brown uses a number Of
specious arguments as to why
we should have a representa-
tive to the Vatican. all OF
which are outworn and have
been shown in the past to be
of no Importance. namely,
the Vatican's value as a listen
ing post: most OF the other
countries have representatives
there. etc. The truth is that
this country needs an Ambas-
sador to the Vatican about as
much as it needs one to the
planet Mars. And even If we
did need one there, it would be
extremely unWise to send one
because of our belief in the
separation Of church and state.
An Ambassador to the Vatican
is an Ambassador to the Ro-