Miguel Diaz, whose letters of credence as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See were accepted Friday by Pope Benedict XVI, identified several current issues as being of leading importance for dialogue between the United States and the Vatican.
Diaz spoke about the matter Friday with Vatican Radio, shortly before meeting the Pope.
The areas specified by Diaz as “common to our interests with respect to the Holy See and the United States” were: rejection of religion as a means of violence; rejection of terrorism; prevention of transmission of HIV/AIDS from mother to child; prevention of human trafficking; and cooperation on interracial, intercultural and interreligious conversation.
Conspicuous by its absence from Diaz’s list was any reference to the life issue, which the Holy Father specified as a key area of importance in his own remarks to Diaz, as reported here on the Daily Blog.