Pope's visit may open new vistas

For a country where religion can play such a prominent part in public life it is strange that relations between the US and the Vatican have been so lukewarm over the decades. Indeed formal diplomatic relations between the two were established as recently as 1984 by President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II.

But informal links between the US and the Vatican have always been strong, a reflection of America's immigrant roots. It is no secret that the majority of American Catholics traditionally voted Democrat rather than Republican, although that has changed in recent elections. Political analysts actually viewed the establishment of relations as an attempt by the Reagan administration to woo Catholic voters in 1984.

The visit of Pope Benedict XVI, however, has been shrouded in controversy. The painful issue of paedophile priests has been a costly one for the church in every sense of the word. The pope's admission that he was "deeply ashamed" by these scandals has gone some way to taking the emotion out of the issue, at least for this visit, but it remains a major credibility problem for the Vatican in the United States.

There is no doubt that the pope lacks the charisma of his predecessor, but his message of peace and harmony between nations and creeds will be well received. Indeed, the pope's visit has already been quite successful as he has been on the front pages of newspapers and the focus of fevered public attention for days. He will appear at that most American of venues, baseball stadiums and address that most un-American of institutions, the United Nations. In many ways he will receive a warmer welcome in the US than he would in many European countries despite the fact that the Vatican is against the death penalty and the invasion of Iraq. But whether the Bush administration will take heed of what he says is doubtful.