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Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Vatican’s permanent observer at the United Nations, reflects on the Holy See Mission’s 60-year presence at the U.N.
Ban Ki-moon, then secretary general of the United Nations, greeted Pope Francis before the Holy Father addressed world leaders gathered for the U.N.’s annual General Assembly in New York City on Sept. 25, 2015. “Your Holiness,” he said, “welcome to the pulpit of the world.”
It was the fifth time a pope had spoken from that unique pulpit since the Holy See attained permanent observer status at the United Nations in 1964. For the past 60 years, the Holy See Mission to the United Nations has worked diligently and creatively to give global resonance to the Church’s teachings and perspective.
Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly noted the 60th anniversary in his annual report in August, saying, “To celebrate this milestone, we’re strengthening our long history of support for the Mission, as it brings the Church’s prophetic voice to the world stage.”
To this end, the Knights of Columbus Board of Directors pledged last spring to financially assist the Holy See Mission in renovating its New York City office — 30 years after the Order helped to acquire the building as a gift to Pope John Paul II.
The Holy See Mission is currently led by Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, appointed permanent observer by Pope Francis in 2020. Archbishop Caccia, a native of Italy and a longtime member of the Holy See’s diplomatic corps, spoke with Columbia about the history and purpose of the mission, his role as permanent observer and some of the ways that the Order has shown its support.
COLUMBIA: What is the primary purpose of the Holy See Mission to the U.N.? How has this mission developed over the last 60 years?
ARCHBISHOP CACCIA: I would like to begin by quoting a message that St. John Paul II addressed to Mr. Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, then secretary general of the U.N., in 1989: “It was in 1964 that my predecessor, Paul VI, chose to establish an ad hoc Mission to the United Nations. He did this in light of new orientations that were taking place within the Church, and in response to the appreciation which the international community had long manifested with regard to the Holy See’s efforts in favor of peace and solidarity among the nations. By sending an Observer to your Organization, he intended to demonstrate the Holy See’s concern for all initiatives aimed at promoting the human, social, cultural, political and moral growth of the community of nations. He likewise desired to make the Church’s contribution more effective within the United Nations’ deliberations on matters of world concern.”
Building on these foundations, the observer mission to the U.N. has grown from the presence of just one person — Msgr. Alberto Giovannetti, the first permanent observer appointed in 1964 — to the current team composed of the permanent observer (who is an apostolic nuncio); two other diplomats of the Holy See; a local priest collaborator; four young lay people engaged as “negotiators”; a network of “experts,” mainly university professors; and 24 interns from all over the world.
The mission has grown also in terms of the space it occupies, from just one office in the premises of Holy Family Parish near the U.N. headquarters, to a residence where the pope stays when visiting New York, as well as another building closer to the U.N. where the mission offices are now situated.
COLUMBIA: What are your primary responsibilities and those of your staff? What are some of the things you have overseen and observed since your appointment in 2019?
ARCHBISHOP CACCIA: Like other diplomatic missions, we provide information about the life of the U.N. community and participate in the discussion and preparation of the resolutions of the General Assembly and the entire organization. We provide our input, translating messages from the Holy Father into the agenda of the U.N. and helping the international community to maintain a global perspective beyond the narrow interests of its single members.
I arrived in New York in mid-January 2020 and after just a few weeks, having had the opportunity to get to know the job better and become acquainted with the other permanent representatives of the 193 member states, we were all confronted with the COVID-19 pandemic. This shook the entire world and put great stress on the international community; it was a moment in which everyone understood very clearly that only with global answers can we overcome global crises.
After that shock, another one arrived — one which undermined the very essence of the United Nations, which was, in the words of the preamble to the Charter, created “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” The invasion of Ukraine came first, and the explosion of conflict in the Middle East followed. That is to cite just two of the many wars currently being waged in the world, which are a strong reminder of the need for the United Nations, but also of its limits. The continued appeals and efforts of the pope to open ways of dialogue, of reconciliation and of peace have been a priority, and continue to be at the core of a renewed approach of trust and fraternity among peoples.
Another global crisis that Pope Francis has addressed, and one to which he has tried to propose ways forward, is climate change. We remember clearly his encyclical letter Laudato si’ on care for our common home, as well as the initiatives that the Church, together with all people of good will, have developed to tackle this problem in a holistic, not just environmental, way.
I would also like to highlight the work of the Holy See regarding a theme that is now the focus of worldwide attention: artificial intelligence. After the “Rome Declaration” outlined an ethical approach to this new technology, Pope Francis put AI at the heart of his Message for the World Day of Peace on Jan. 1 this year.
In addition to these major global challenges, I do not want to forget the daily work of the mission, which takes up the bulk of our time, related to the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 goals.
COLUMBIA: How does your consultation with the Holy Father and the Vatican Secretary of State affect your ongoing work?
ARCHBISHOP CACCIA: We are in constant consultations with the Secretariat of State of the Holy See so that there is full coordination between our work and the views and messages of the pope about the different questions that concern the common good of humanity and our common home.
Four popes have officially addressed the General Assembly, and, on each occasion, they have given a message of hope and signaled the support of the Holy See for achieving the noble goals inscribed in the U.N. Charter: peace, human rights, development and the rule of law.
The first visit came Oct. 4, 1965, and was made by Pope Paul VI, who was also the first pontiff to visit the United States. His speech was memorable, and remains the cornerstone of the presence, mission and contribution of the Holy See to the United Nations. Unforgettably, he defined the Church as an “expert on humanity” and made a resounding cry for “no more war.”
One year after his election, Pope John Paul II came to New York in 1979 and expressed “the wish that, in view of its universal character, the United Nations Organization [would] never cease to be the forum, the high tribune from which all man’s problems are appraised in truth and justice.”
When he returned in 1995, he addressed the subject of freedom, saying, “Freedom is not simply the absence of tyranny or oppression. Nor is freedom a license to do whatever we like. Freedom has an inner ‘logic’ which distinguishes it and ennobles it: freedom is ordered to the truth, and is fulfilled in man’s quest for truth and in man’s living in the truth.”
Pope Benedict addressed the General Assembly in 2008, affirming, “The United Nations embodies the aspiration for a ‘greater degree of international ordering,’ inspired and governed by the principle of subsidiarity, and therefore capable of responding to the demands of the human family through binding international rules and through structures capable of harmonizing the day-to-day unfolding of the lives of peoples.”
Finally, Pope Francis came in 2015 and “reaffirm[ed] the importance which the Catholic Church attaches to [the U.N.] and the hope which she places in its activities.” His visit coincided with the launching of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which he described as an “important sign of hope.”
Reading their speeches we can see the achievements, the struggles and the problems of the international community in the last 80 years through the lens of the Holy See and its engagement with the U.N.
COLUMBIA: What role has the Knights of Columbus played in supporting the Mission of the Holy See to the U.N. in recent decades?
ARCHBISHOP CACCIA: First, we are immensely grateful to the Knights of Columbus because, as indicated on the plaque at the entrance to our offices: “This building was acquired through the special generosity of the Knights of Columbus as a gift to His Holiness Pope John Paul II as a means of assisting him in calling the family of nations to walk together on the path to peace.”
Since then, the support the Knights has offered to the Holy See Mission has been constant and enabled many initiatives. Only recently we received a very generous contribution to start important renovation work needed to ensure that our building — the same one where we have operated since 1994 — is brought up to the regulatory standards of New York City.
In addition to material assistance with the buildings and programs of the Holy See Mission, the Knights of Columbus has also made a very real human contribution. The present supreme knight, Patrick Kelly, was an intern at the mission and contributed to its work with generosity and dedication. In fact, I am pleased to be able to say that the strong faith, good character and lively intelligence that marked Patrick Kelly’s contribution as an intern are hallmarks of the successive groups of the wonderful young Catholics whom we welcome each year. The generous contribution of the Knights of Columbus ensures they are able to be with us in New York and contribute firsthand to the Holy See’s mission in the international arena.
COLUMBIA: Is there anything else you would like to share with Knights of Columbus worldwide and their families?
ARCHBISHOP CACCIA: I came to know well the activity of the Knights of Columbus in my previous mission in the Philippines. I especially appreciate the way in which the Knights try to implement the teachings of the Church in the daily life of their members so as to build a better society for all, especially for those who are in greatest need.
I encourage each and every member to rediscover the beauty and the importance of their call and to engage with generosity at all levels with the spirit of your founder, Blessed Michael McGivney. I have been privileged to witness this here in the United States and in other parts of the world, and I want to express the sincere gratitude of the Holy See and my own. May God bless you all!