Catholic Outlook presents sections from the final instalment of a three-part interview series with Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretariat of State, and former Apostolic Nuncio to Australia.
In the final part of his exclusive interview with America, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states, speaks about the positive relationship between the Vatican and the Biden administration and the significance of the Holy See’s adherence to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. He also speaks about the pope’s visit to Canada and the possibility of papal trips to other countries. He concludes by expressing his hopes for how the situation in the world will develop in the coming two to three years.
On US-Vatican Relations, Archbishop Gallagher is quoted as saying, “I would say that our exchanges with the Biden administration are frequent, particularly through the U.S. embassy to the Holy See…it is a very positive relationship in the sense that I don’t think we have any hesitation to approach [them]—whether it’s the embassy or the State Department or the White House. And they don’t have any hesitation to do the same here, which I think is very positive because that’s not always the case in bilateral relations.”
And on The Holy See acceding to the UN Climate Convention and the Paris Agreement, Archbishop Gallagher says, “The Holy See, in order to be able to adhere to this convention and to the agreement, has had to make an enormous effort. It’s been achieved only by the good will of the various departments of the Holy See and the Vatican City working together to make this possible. That really needs recognition. So for the Vatican City State, in particular, this is a very important moment.”
To continue reading the rest of the interview, click here.
Gerard O’Connell is America’s Vatican correspondent and author of The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Story of the Conclave That Changed History. He has been covering the Vatican since 1985. @gerryorome
With thanks to America and Gerard O’Connell, where this article originally appeared.
