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PROFILE:
Vatican Ambassador James Nicholson
December 10, 2004 Episode no. 815
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BOB ABERNETHY, anchor: President Bush this week chose U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican James Nicholson as his nominee to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Nicholson is a Vietnam War veteran, a Colorado businessman, and former chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Earlier, I talked with Nicholson about his three and a half years as Vatican ambassador, especially about the pope's opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
JAMES NICHOLSON (U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican): Iraq was the issue about which we had the most divergence, no question.
ABERNETHY: Nicholson said the pope did support the overall war on terrorism, as in Afghanistan.
Mr. NICHOLSON: The first meeting I ever had with the Holy Father was on September 13, 2001, and he said he had 48 hours to think and pray about the events of New York and Washington and Pennsylvania, and he thrust his finger at me and he said, "That was not an attack just on you, the United States." He said, "That was an attack on humanity," and then went on to imply that humanity had to take steps against these people who would kill in the name of God.
ABERNETHY But, Nicholson said, the pope did not think invading Iraq was a last resort. Therefore, he did not think it was justified. Indeed, I asked, "Didn't a lot of Vatican officials brand the U.S. action immoral?"
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Mr. NICHOLSON: I would not agree that a lot have said that, but certainly some have. And some senior members of the Roman curia have. I am a lifetime Catholic, and I thought the Church was very hierarchal and everything flowed down from the pope, but that is not the case. These cardinals and bishops have a lot of autonomy, except on matters of faith and doctrine, and so some of them did opine that they thought it was immoral and so forth, but never did the pope.
ABERNETHY: Now that no weapons of mass destruction have been found, and there is an insurgency, has anyone at the Vatican said to you, "See, we were right?"
Mr. NICHOLSON: Nobody is saying that. They are not saying, "I told you so." They are saying, "You're there." There is a commitment to try to make this a free and open society, and we need now to work very closely together to see that this happens as a result of this invasion and of the war and of the killing that has gone on there. It has to become worth the price.
ABERNETHY: The pope's failing health continues to feed speculation that he can no longer run the Vatican. But Ambassador Nicholson insists that in spite of John Paul's frailty and suffering, his mind is sharp, and so is his sense of humor, even about reporters.
Mr. NICHOLSON: An American bishop that works in the curia told me about one morning going in, having breakfast with him, and he just said, "How are you feeling this morning, Holy Father?" And he said, "I don't know yet. I haven't had a chance to read the American press." And then he said, "By the way, would you tell them that I don't run this Church with my feet?"
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