Word: vatican
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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Last week, opponents of human embryonic stem cell research declared that new research techniques have cleared away the ethical controversies that have plagued stem cell science. From Vatican City to the Bush administration, spokesmen gave sound bites of “we told you so”; with above-the-fold headlines in every major paper describing how scientists can now create stem cells without destroying embryos, opponents of embryonic stem cell research claimed to hold unbeatable evidence on their side...
Iran has a surprisingly large diplomatic corps at the Vatican (only the Dominican Republic has more diplomats accredited to the Holy See) who have a monthly meeting with papal advisers. But other unofficial discussions, in trattorias and cafes and a variety of Church institutions, are a constant part of the diplomatic workings in Rome. And over recent months, the conversations have centered on the looming showdown over Iran's nuclear program. Says one key Catholic Church player involved in these discussions: "The Pope will speak explicitly only when the conditions call for it. One difference this time [compared with Iraq...
...diplomatic chess game around Iran's nuclear program includes an unlikely bishop. According to several well-placed Rome sources, Iranian officials are quietly laying the groundwork necessary to turn to Pope Benedict XVI and top Vatican diplomats for mediation if the showdown with the United States should escalate toward a military intervention. The 80-year-old Pope has thus far steered clear of any strong public comments about either Iran's failure to fully comply with U.N. nuclear weapons inspectors or the drumbeat of war coming from some corners in Washington. But Iran, which has had diplomatic relations with...
...situation heats up in the coming months, the question of exactly what role the Vatican would play could become pivotal. Says one high-ranking Vatican official: "The Iranians look to the Holy See with particular attention. It is born from our common religious matrix. This could be utilized to offer ourselves as an intermediary if the crisis worsens." Among the potential moves: a forceful series of public appeals by the Pope, a Vatican emissary sent to Washington and Tehran, or a visit to the Vatican by Iranian President President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad...
Glendon also has a long-standing relationship with the Vatican. In 1994, she was appointed by Pope John Paul II to lead the newly created Pontifical Academy of Social Science. She headed the Holy See’s delegation to the Fourth U.N. Women’s Conference in Beijing in 1995. She is also a member of the Pontifical Council for the Laity...