Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia was appointed the Holy See's permanent observer to the United Nations on Nov. 16, 2019. (Photo supplied)
The 193 flags, arranged alphabetically from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, flutter outside the United Nations (UN). But two of them don't seem to fit in quite well — Palestine and the Holy See.
A few blocks away, the flag of the Holy See waves once again. The Apostolic Nunciature, the official representation of the pope at the UN, appears somewhat squeezed between a hotel and the Mexican Consulate General.
The building is not much wider than five meters and with just five floors surprisingly low, given its illustrious neighborhood between the Empire State Building and the East River.
Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia is the Apostolic Nuncio, the pope's ambassador to the UN. He declines to give an interview but invites me for an espresso in a conversation room at the nunciature.
The sofas and armchairs seem to come from a bygone century. Golden-yellow and red cushions meet dark wood and classicism. From the walls, the popes wave during their visits to the UN, ranging from Francis to Paul VI.
Archbishop Caccia has not had the opportunity to personally welcome a pope in New York yet. The native Milanese has only been in office since 2019. Previously, he served as an ambassador in Lebanon and the Philippines.
At 65, he is still ten years away from retirement, so a papal visit during his tenure is still possible. In 2020, Pope Francis addressed the UN in a video message.
The Holy See's special status at the UN
The nunciature in New York is something special, as indicated by its title: "Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations" is written on the glass window of the building. Like the representations of other states, the nunciature in New York is not an embassy in the conventional sense. It represents the affairs of the Holy See not to a state but to an international organization.
Moreover, the Holy See has a special status within the UN. It does not have voting rights in the General Assembly, but its representatives sit among the representatives of member states, unlike the observers from NGOs or the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
The Holy See has the right to speak and can participate in the work of committees and bodies like a member state. Only Palestine shares this special status with the Holy See, albeit for different reasons. The Holy See has chosen this status for itself, as explained by the nunciature on its website. This way, the Holy See can maintain "absolute neutrality" concerning political issues.
Neutrality thanks to observer status
Caccia explained to the Italian news agency SIR a few years ago that the Holy See, through this special observer status, is not bound to any coalition or interest group. Thus, it can represent the "innermost values of humanity" and give a voice to those who are otherwise forgotten or overlooked.
This concern is also reflected in the nuncio's speeches before the UN working forums. He strongly advocates for financing sustainable development and particularly demands that countries whose populations have suffered the most from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic receive appropriate resources.
The Holy See advocates for the rights of indigenous peoples, especially regarding culturally sensitive healthcare and self-determination over their territories. In "Working Group 2 on Outer Space," the nuncio speaks against anti-satellite weapons and calls for more transparency and control over what is launched into space.
In service of humanity
Compared to the large representations of member states, the small nunciature in Manhattan cannot compete. Besides a few permanent staff members, there are around ten interns from around the world working here. And yet, it seems that Caccia and his team are fully dedicated to the idea of Pope Paul VI.
In the first speech by a pope to the UN, he summarized the mission as follows: as an "expert in humanity, the Holy See makes the voice of the poor, the marginalized, the unfortunate, and those whose aspirations for justice, a dignified life, freedom, prosperity, and progress are often ignored," its own voice.
It is no surprise, then, that when the nuncio rises from the red-gold cushion, he pulls out a particular book from his pocket: a copy of the encyclical "Fratelli tutti," the papal document on global fraternity.
*Gerald Mayer is a theologian, educator, and freelance journalist for domradio.de in Cologne, Germany. He also serves as Director of the Vocations Office of the Archdiocese of Cologne. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official editorial position of UCA News.
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