Cardinal Adam Maida is no stranger to Pope John Paul II.

The Detroit archbishop initiated the John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, D.C. He discussed the center with the Pope at his recent ad limina visit to Rome — a five-yearly visit by American bishops who meet in small groups with the Pope (see story, page 5).

Register correspondent Edward Pentin spoke with Cardinal Maida about the center, about the current Communion controversy and whether Michigan's Catholic, pro-abortion governor should receive Communion (see related story, page 2).

What did you find most helpful about your visit?

Coming to the Vatican is always uplifting; it brings us to our roots. When we visit the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul we recall their generosity — we can identify with them and the challenges they faced, which are great sources of hope. The meetings give us 20 bishops the opportunity to meet and gather for prayer and to have open discussions that are affirming.

The Church in the United States has had to face much lately concerning issues such as the sexual-abuse crisis. Were any of these issues discussed?

The life of the Church is multifaceted — the sexual-abuse issue is one problem but it's not the only one. What we discussed depended on the particular congregation we were meeting.

The Holy Father is particularly interested in matters concerning family life, marriage, young people and education. The life of the Church is rich and provides many opportunities and hope on many issues on which people need guidance.

What is your opinion on the question of Church sanctions against pro-abortion politicians, in particular the current governor of Michigan, Jennifer Granholm, who is a pro-abortion and pro-homosexual-rights Catholic politician who has served as a lector in her home parish?

To my knowledge she is not a lector. In her younger life she was a lector but when she entered politics she no longer served as such.

Anyone who's taking a position against Church authority we restrict from taking positions within the Church. But it depends on the issue, the person and the circumstances as to which particular sanctions we take — it has to be looked at on a case-by-case basis.

Was the issue of politicians and their eligibility to receive Communion discussed in your meetings?

The issue was not raised so much. The United States is a pluralist country — we have different problems than other countries — these problems are important for us but there are other problems for other cultures.

The question of reception of the sacraments must be applied in the context of different cultures, and it can be applied in different ways.

You mean that issues such as this are the responsibility more of the U.S. Church, the U.S. bishops, rather than the Holy See?

They are problems that need to be applied to the local scene.

Did you discuss with the Holy Father the John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington?

We didn't discuss it in our public audiences with the Holy Father. But at least once a year, trustees of the center make a pilgrimage to Rome to report on what's happening.

The Holy Father is always anxious to know how things are going and is kept informed. The center has been open three years now and is still evolving.

What other topics did you discuss in your meeting?

What I was surprised to find fascinating was our visit to the secretary of state, where we discussed the world situation and had a meeting with the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, who is a very positive presence here in Rome.

We discussed world poverty, the effects of globalization, the movement of people across borders, jobs, war, the Church's position in the Middle East, the relations with Jews and so on.

It reinforced the fact that whatever we do, whether it be making automobiles or whatever, affects other countries very much. What was particularly interesting for me was that in my archdiocese we have the largest Muslim community in the United States — in Detroit — so these discussions were very helpful.

On these visits one is taken out of one's local environment and onto the world stage, which is refreshing — there aren't many organizations with the worldview the Church has. We had discussions on how the Church can bring its voice to certain issues, to speak ecumenically, to see how dialogue can affect humanity.

Edward Pentin writes from Rome.