By John L. Allen, Jr.
Rome
Although the nomination is not official until
announced by the White House and confirmed by the United States Senate, sources
in Rome have confirmed to NCR that Francis Rooney, 51, will be the next U.S.
ambassador to the Holy See. Under the terms of diplomatic
protocol, the Holy See has already given its agreement to the appointment, those
sources said. At the moment, the White House is examining Rooney’s financial
disclosure forms, with a formal announcement of the appointment expected
sometime in late May or early June, and Senate hearings shortly thereafter.
Barring a surprise, confirmation is expected to come
swiftly.
Rooney, a Catholic, is an Oklahoma native and a graduate of
the Georgetown University Law Center. A businessman, he owns Manhattan
Construction and Hope Lumber in Tulsa, Okla., and is also CEO of the
Florida-based investment firm Rooney Brothers Inc., as well as Rooney Holdings.
Assuming he’s confirmed, the posting to the Vatican would
be Rooney’s first diplomatic assignment. He is not expected to move into the
Villa Richardson, the residence of the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, until
late summer or early fall.
Rooney has been an ardent supporter of U.S. President
George W. Bush. Rooney Holdings donated more than $500,000 to the president’s
reelection campaign in 2004. Data released by the Federal Election Commission on
Feb. 7, listed Rooney and his wife, Kathleen, in fifth place on the list of
largest individual donors to political campaigns in the 2004 elections, having
distributed $341,396 to various candidates. According to the FEC data, 99
percent of that money went to Republicans.
In 2004, Rooney Holdings contributed $100,000 to “Progress
for America,” a group promoting the president’s Social Security proposals. In
turn, Bush named Rooney to be part of a small delegation led by former U.S.
Secretary of State Colin Powell to the August 2004 inauguration of Panamanian
President Martin Torres. Rooney’s construction company does business in Central
America, and since 2003 he has served on the advisory board for the Panama
Canal.
Rooney’s commercial activities have intersected with
conservative political causes over the years. Manhattan Construction, for
example, built the George Bush Presidential Library in Texas as well as the $6
million headquarters of the Cato Institute, a Washington-based think tank with
libertarian leanings.
The ambassador’s position has been vacant since James
Nicholson returned to Washington in early 2005 to take up new duties as the
Secretary of the Veteran’s Affairs. The U.S. embassy to the Holy See has been
administered during this time by chargé d’affaires Brent Hardt, who was called
upon to organize the American delegations both for the funeral of Pope John Paul
II and the installation of Pope Benedict XVI.
Hardt himself is scheduled for reassignment over the
summer.
John L. Allen Jr is NCR Rome correspondent. His e-mail address is jallen@ncronline.org
National Catholic Reporter, May 18, 2005
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