First, a little history. After all, it was on this day in 1984, that the Holy See and the United States re-established diplomatic ties after a 117-year break. (And it’s a good thing, too, because President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II worked together to bring down Communism).
In Obama’s first term, Miguel Diaz served as Ambassador to the Vatican. But he resigned in November to accept a position as professor of faith and culture at the University of Dayton.
So, that has Vatican insiders buzzing about possible replacements. Sadly, Obama apologists Stephen Schneck and Nicolas Cafardi are both being batted around as top potential picks. It’s possible that the Vatican would but the quiet kibosh on either of these picks, though.
John Allen reports that another candidate is also being considered.
Further into the realm of the hypothetical, some observers have suggested that Obama could turn to one of the pro-life Democrats in Congress, such as Dan Lipinski of Illinois’ third district. Lipinski is co-chair of the Pro-Life Caucus and a co-sponsor of the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.” He’s met with Vatican officials in the past, and they have come away impressed. (Solidifying his Catholic credentials, Lipinski also taught briefly at the University of Notre Dame from 2000 to 2001.)
Unlike Bart Stupak, Lipinski held firm and refused to vote for Obamacare because of a lack of strict prohibitions against abortion funding. Lipinski is a sincere pro-life Catholic and has the pro-life voting record to prove it. That’s also why he’s a CatholicVote-endorsed candidate. Dan Lipinski would make a great Ambassador to the Holy See.