Vatican's Strong Support for Nuclear Agreement with Iran

The Vatican has emphasized its "strong" support for the nuclear agreement reached between Iran and six world powers just days before Pope Francis's trip to the United States. Media reports on September 15 state that in a statement released during a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Monday, the Vatican's foreign minister announced the Catholic Church's "strong support" for the nuclear agreement. Paul Gallagher, the foreign minister of the "Holy See" (Vatican), told the IAEA meeting that "in a region filled with conflict and strife, reaching an agreement on a sensitive issue is an important step that will convey a message of dialogue and cooperation on other issues." Archbishop Gallagher also expressed hope that the full implementation of the agreement would prove the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program and be "a fundamental step towards establishing stability and security in the region." The Vatican's emphasis on supporting dialogue and the nuclear agreement with Iran, which has a history, comes one week before Pope Francis's visit to Washington. The Huffington Post reports that Paul Gallagher, without directly referencing American lawmakers, emphasized that the implementation of the nuclear agreement depends on the determination of the international community and the capabilities of the IAEA in enforcing Iran's commitments. The public release of the Vatican's statement coincided with a day when a re-vote on the nuclear agreement in the U.S. Senate failed due to the resistance of the majority of Democratic representatives. Pope Francis is scheduled to speak in Washington in front of members of both houses of Congress, at the invitation of John Boehner, the Republican Speaker of the House, who opposes the nuclear agreement.