“Obama: Working with the Pope to Help the World.” This
is the title of an interview with President Obama that appeared
in the Italian Catholic paper Avvenire last week in
anticipation of Obama’s meeting with Pope Benedict XVI tomorrow.
According to the editorial director of Avvenire, Dino
Boffo, the invitation came from the White House. As if reacting
to recent criticisms of the Obama administration for planting
questions during press conferences, the introduction to the
interview stresses that the questions were not provided to the
President in advance. In
an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della
Sera, editorial director Dino Boffo makes the same
observation, while effusively praising the President for his
“preparation,” “intelligence,” and “honesty.”
While acknowledging obvious differences on issues such as
abortion and stem-cell research, in the Avvenire
interview Obama chose to emphasize what he identified as the
large areas of political agreement between him and the Pope:
“from peace in the Middle East to the fight against poverty, from
climate change to immigration.” Particular attention was given to
the Middle East conflict and the supposed need for Israel to
cease settlement construction in the West Bank in the interest of
achieving a negotiated “two-state solution” with the
Palestinians. Here is the relevant exchange:
Avvenire: During his recent trip to
the Holy Land, the Pope spoke of a “just and lasting peace.”
But the peace negotiations in the Middle East have come to a
halt, in part because of the opposition of Israel to stopping
the growth of settlements in the West Bank. How do you think
you can convince the Jewish state to overcome this opposition
and how do you intend to get negotiations restarted on the
basis of the principle “two nations, two states” [due
popoli, due Stati].
Obama: We have been very clear with the
Israelis in insisting that the settlements should be stopped.
But we know that this will not be easy for Israel, since the
settlements have been going on for many years. Moreover, Prime
Minister Netanyahu has to deal with a series of difficult
political conditions in his own country. That said, the
discussions that we are having with the Israelis are very
constructive. On the other hand, it is not only Israel’s fault.
The Palestinians have the responsibility of stopping the
violence and the Arab countries in the region should understand
that if Israel is called upon to take very difficult decisions,
they should recognize that the Jewish state needs security like
any other country. Without imposing a solution, what the United
States can do is to hold up a mirror to both parties, in order
to show them the consequences of their own actions. This is a
subject that I am anxious to discuss with the Holy Father, who
I believe shares my approach.
One other exchange will be of particular interest to the American
public, since Obama’s response suggests that he opposes the death
penalty. The question in fact concerned abortion and the “right
to life.” Here is the exchange:
Avvenire: Some Catholics praise your
contribution to promoting the theme of social justice; others
criticize you for your positions on subjects related to life:
from abortion to stem-cell research. Do you see this as a
contradiction?
Obama: This tension in the Catholic world
existed well before I got to the White House. When I first
started to be interested in social justice, in Chicago, the
Catholic bishops spoke of immigration, of atomic weapons
[nucleare], of the poor, foreign policy. Then, at some
point, the attention of the Catholic Church shifted toward
abortion and this had the power to move opinion in both
Congress and the country in the same direction. These are
questions that I think about a lot, but it is not up to me to
resolve such tensions. Nonetheless, I have seen how one could
attempt to bring about a sort of reconciliation. Cardinal
Joseph Bernardin, whom I knew in Chicago, spoke clearly and
explicitly of the defense of life. And he included under this
head also the fight against poverty, child welfare, and the
death penalty. I am continually inspired by this part of the
Catholic tradition and it has had a considerable impact on my
wife. At times, I think that it has gotten buried beneath the
debate on abortion. I would prefer that it remains in the
foreground in the national debate.
During the 2008 electoral campaign, Obama said that he supported
the use of the death penalty in the case of the “most egregious”
crimes.
