Apostolic nuncio reflects on papal journey to America

Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States, speaks on May 3 at the Meridian Hills Country Club in Indianapolis during a fundraising dinner sponsored by the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land. The dinner supported the Franciscan Boys Home in Bethlehem. Photos of the home’s residents are displayed next to Archbishop Sambi. (Photo by Sean Gallagher)

(Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part interview featuring Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States. Archbishop Sambi visited Indianapolis in early May. Because of space constraints, some of Archbishop Sambi’s responses had to be edited. Get the first part here.)

By Sean Gallagher

As apostolic nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Pietro Sambi played a central role in organizing the April 15-21 pastoral visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States.

Two weeks after that historic journey, Archbishop Sambi visited Indianapolis on May 3 to participate in a fundraising dinner for the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land.

During his visit to Indianapolis, Archbishop Sambi spoke with The Criterion about the pope’s trip to America.

Q: Now that, in a sense, the “dust has settled” from Pope Benedict XVI’s visit, what would you say was the significance of it for the Church in this country?

A: I think that what has been the meaning of this pastoral journey of Benedict XVI to the United States was clearly explained by himself: “I go to confirm my brothers and sisters in faith.” This is the mandate that our Lord Jesus Christ has given to Peter and to his successors.

But the pope, in a comment that he made [recently] in Rome, said something extremely important: “I went to the United States to confirm my brothers and sisters in the faith. And they confirmed me in hope.”

Q: Do you think what the pope did and said here and how he was received has a significance for the Church in other parts of the world, perhaps in Europe and other places, where secularism has taken a stronger hold than here?

A: I have said from the beginning that, given the power of the mass media in the United States, a successful visit of the pope in the United States would be a successful visit in the world, just as a failure of the visit of the pope in the United States would be a failure of the visit all over the world.

And, really, the mass media played a very positive role and they presented the visit of the Holy Father to the United States in an exceptional way.

You have seen that the pope who has, as a caricature, an intimidating personality. Even so, you have seen his joy, his smile, his open arms to the American people.

I remember that one newspaper asked me, “Does Benedict XVI love the American people?”

I answered that it is a tradition almost all over the world that anniversaries are celebrated in the family.

And Pope Benedict XVI has chosen to celebrate his birthday and to celebrate the anniversary of his election as pope in the United States. You can conclude yourself.

Q: Was there any particular event or moment during Pope Benedict’s visit here that had a special significance for you personally?

A: His eucharistic celebrations at the Nationals Park in Washington and at Yankee Stadium in New York.

The Holy Father is impressive when he is celebrating the Eucharist. I receive the impression that when he speaks, he would like to disappear so that, through his voice, it would be Christ himself speaking to the people.

And when the Lord is present on the altar after the consecration, the pope would like to disappear so the people will see Jesus Christ in the midst of them.

Q: During his meeting with the U.S. bishops, the pope, quoting Cardinal Francis E. George, noted that some U.S. bishops had handled badly some of the sexual abuse cases. Many people in the media, who were skeptical before the pope’s visit, were very pleased by the trip. But they still thought, “Why haven’t any of these bishops who handled cases badly been disciplined in a public way?” How would you respond to a question like that?

A: You need to read what is written. The pope quoted a phrase of Cardinal George referring to the past.

There is a phrase to the priests in St. Patrick’s [Cathedral] in New York in which the pope, already responding to this kind of rumor, said to the priests to be in solidarity with their bishops, who will continue to repair the damage created by the sex scandal and to renovate the Church on this aspect.

So the pope did not make a reproach to the bishops of today. He said, according to the phrase of Cardinal George, that, in the past, some bishops have handled this question badly.

But he recognized how the bishops of yesterday and the bishops of today are really honest and engaged in solving this problem.

Q: So maybe those who may have made mistakes in the past recognized their mistakes and are not making those mistakes again?

A: Yes. But you have to know that almost the totality of the bishops of today have to face the consequences of mistakes that were made before they were bishops, before they were responsible.

And it is not easy to spend so much of your time, of your human and psychological energy, and of the money of the diocese for mistakes that you have not committed.

There’s only one example to follow: Jesus assumed on himself the sins that he did not commit—our sins.

Q: Shortly before Pope Benedict’s visit here, you said that “our primary goal with the victims is to help them heal from this very deep hurt that has been imposed on them.” How do you think that goal may have been advanced by the meeting that the pope had with a group of victims that happened in your home?

A: Exactly. I was there. It was an extremely moving moment, full of emotion from every side. I think that these persons will never forget their meeting with the pope.

And after the pope left, I saw on their faces and in their words and in their attitudes the sense of liberation from what they suffered.

What I want to say is this: We’re helping these people who really need help—not those who are trying to gain money with them—but those who are trying to re-establish their confidence in love, their confidence in life, and their confidence in others and in the Church.

These five persons, as the long list of the many others that I have followed in the same way, in some way, they have found again the joy of living. One of these ladies will be married in the next month.

Q: When you addressed the U.S. bishops last fall, you said that you hoped the coming apostolic journey by his holiness would be a visit by Peter to help bring about a new Pentecost in the Church in the United States.

A: A new usefulness, a new springtime, a new Pentecost. Yes.

Q: What would you suggest to the faithful here that they keep with them from the pope’s trip that would help make that new Pentecost a reality?

A: I would like to say to the Catholics of the United States that if our sins are humiliating us, we must always be grateful for the faith we receive in Jesus Christ and grateful for the gift of belonging to the Church.

So, as an expression of this gratitude, we should continue to announce the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And we should be proud to witness Jesus Christ in the society in which we live. This is the first sign of the Resurrection: to be grateful for what God has given us. †

(Web extra: Click here to read Archbishop Sambi’s reflections and memories of his ministry as a papal diplomat, including Pope John Paul II’s 2000 pilgrimage to the Holy Land)