Cardinal Pio Laghi (1922-2009)

Cardinal Pio Laghi, Pope John Paul II's envoy to the US, who was sent by the Vatican to try and dissuade President Bush from launching the War in Iraq, has died at the age of 86

I've come across his name while reading up on Catholicism and democracy, perhaps in Archbishop Chaput's Render Unto Caesar.

Prayers for his soul.

And do remember, the Vatican was extremely opposed to the War in Iraq. Remind this the next time someone tells you that the Catholic Church supported the War.



I think it's so cool to be serving the Vatican as a diplomat.

(AP) The Italian-born Laghi had a long career in the Vatican diplomatic corps, serving first in Nicaragua in 1952. He was dispatched to India, Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories, Cyprus, Greece and Argentina before being named envoy to Washington in 1980.

At the time, there were no formal diplomatic relations between the United States and the Holy See; Laghi oversaw the establishment of ties in 1984 and remained as the Vatican's permanent diplomatic representative there until he was recalled to Rome to serve as prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education.