The United States and the Vatican : Analyzing a Rapprochement (1981-1989)
On January 10, 1984, the United States and the Holy See announced the establishment of diplomatic relations. The decision was made in a context of revived tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union after the détente of the 1970s. At first sight there seems to have been a perfect ideological convergence between President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II, as both were famous for their vocal anticommunism. The rapprochement witnessed in the 1980s has led some to posit the existence of an alliance between Rome and Washington, the aim of which was to hasten the collapse of Marxist regimes. Yet, a closer analysis of Vatican-American relations during that period contradicts such an interpretation, as the Vatican did not by any means endorse all of Reagan’s Cold War-related policies. This led to efforts on the part of Washington to convince the Holy See of the legitimacy of its foreign policy options. Arms reduction, Strategic Def! ense Initiative, Central America, and Poland were some of the topics brought up by Washington in order to secure Vatican approval, or at the very least to prevent a condemnation, even an implicit one, of US policies. Sometimes, the Holy See did act in a manner construed as favorable to US interests. However, this was always in keeping with its own interests, which were not solely Cold War-related, and which the Vatican always pursued, whether they tallied with those of the United States or not.