THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary (Denver, Colorado) ______________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release August 12, 1993 PRESS BRIEFING BY AMBASSADOR TO THE VATICAN RAY FLYNN Regis University Denver, Colorado 5:45 P.M. MDT AMBASSADOR FLYNN: Good afternoon, everyone, and let me say how honored the President of the United States was to have the opportunity to meet with the Holy Father here today in Denver as part of this historic Youth Conference, where young people from across the United States, and indeed, across the world came here to Denver to deal with the issues of concern not only to them as individuals, but also to the future of our country, the United States of America, and the future of young people across the world. Obviously, this was a very exciting meeting for the President. I spoke to him following his 35-minute meeting with the Holy Father. Following that, we had an opportunity to talk to the Holy Father again and we went over a number of issues that the Holy Father and the President spoke about. You heard the President make reference to those out there in the briefing. Certainly the issues of economic justice was an issue that both the Holy Father and the President spoke about; the foreign policy issues that are of deep concern to Pope John Paul II and to President Clinton; the situation in Bosnia with both of these leaders, these remarkable leaders, feel a very strong commitment of dealing with some of the unnecessary and senseless violence that's taking place in the former Yugoslav republics. Concerned about -- their unified concern about the peace talks in the Middle East; their concern about the situation in Somalia; and restated America's mission, and that is to bring peace and stability to Somalia and, at the same time, providing humanitarian aid and bringing food and medical supplies to those suffering innocent people. The issue of -- obviously focusing on young people, which is so much of a concern, the issue of violence, not only here in the United States, but communities across the world. So this was -- I think a chemistry was developed between the President and the Holy Father, one that I think is in the interest and incredibly important to the entire world community. As the President said to me, there are so many issues that the Holy Father and the President discussed, and it's principally because there are so many unsettling situations in communities across the world. So I think there is a partnership that was built here today in Denver, a partnership that can only serve not only the people of the United States, but also support the people of the world who are looking for justice. And I think I speak for the people of the United States when I say there are no finer voices of social and economic justice and of moral commitment than that of the Holy Father and the President of the United States. So I think today was an important historic event for our country, for the world. And the rest of us now can follow the leadership of these two men in fighting for peace, for justice and for unity all across the world. Q Mr. Ambassador, the President mentioned the Vatican relations with Israel, which is a topic that was not necessarily advertised in advance. Can you tell us what they said about that and how the United States sees that as important to the peace process? AMBASSADOR FLYNN: The President feels very optimistic that there is a strong working relationship that is already in place between the Vatican, Holy See and the state of Israel. And I think they're making significant progress in achieving common ground potentially for full diplomatic relations. The President, of course, is very committed to that. That will be resolved, obviously, by the two parties, Israel and the Holy See. But the President expressed to the Holy Father his commitment and his support for full diplomatic relations as well, knowing full well, however, that that issue is making progress and will be resolved by the diplomats at the Vatican and the government of Israel. Q And the importance to the peace process? AMBASSADOR FLYNN: The President is deeply concerned about restoring peace into the Middle East. It's one of the reasons why it's been a high priority of President Clinton; one of the reasons why the President has instructed Secretary of State Christopher to shuttle throughout the Middle East to resume the peace talks. The Holy Father expressed his concern as well for bringing together the elements of constructive forces to win the senseless bloodshed in the Middle East. So I think you have two leaders, the Holy Father and the President, who are very, very committed to restoring peace and unity in the Middle East. Q Mr. Ambassador, did the Pope bring up to the President any concern about the possible bombing of Bosnia? AMBASSADOR FLYNN: The Bosnian situation was probably the most significant issue that they discussed at the private meeting that they had. Both the President and the Holy Father believe strongly that the international community has an obligation to make sure that the suffering and the people of Sarajevo are not exposed to the kind of brutality and the ruthlessness that they have been experiencing, the violations of human rights. The President is committed to a humane policy in the former Yugoslav republics. And, as the President said to me, he made it clear to the Holy Father that the government of the United States cannot allow -- to sit on the sidelines and allow the situation, the brutality and the suffering and the misery that innocent people are experiencing in Sarajevo and the Yugoslav republics without the United States speaking out and engaging the European Community, NATO, and the international community to try to resolve this crisis. Both of them were deeply committed to doing something immediately. Both of them feel that another winter of misery for the people in the former Yugoslav republics, particularly in Sarajevo, might in fact be, for too many of them, women and children, might be their last winter. And the United States cannot allow that to happen. And the President made that clear. Q The Holy Father expressed concern, Mr. Ambassador, about the possible use of force -- bombing. AMBASSADOR FLYNN: The President restated his mission and the mission of the United States. It's twofold and twofold very clearly; has not changed. The one is peace and bringing about normalcy, and number two, it's providing humanitarian aid, making sure that medicine and food are able to get into -- get through the supply lines in Sarajevo. And that's the President's mission. That's what he says the mission is -- the United States. And if I could detect from what I saw the Holy Father's response, without speaking for him, of course, it seems that there is strong feeling that the United States is doing what it can to help end the human suffering of so many people in Sarajevo. Q But did he express any concern about the possible further use of force? AMBASSADOR FLYNN: I wasn't at the meeting, but I detected, both -- in the response by the President to me that there is almost agreement on the two-fold mission of the United States, both in Bosnia and Somalia, that our commitment as the government of the United States is, one, peace and restoring things back to normal, and, number two, humanitarian aid, medical supplies and food. Q Mr. Ambassador, did the President make any response to the Pope on the issue of abortion in the meeting you attended? AMBASSADOR FLYNN: The issue of abortion did not come up at the private meeting between the President and the Holy Father. At the meeting that we had with the Holy Father and the President, we talked about the situation in Haiti -- Q But, Mr. Ambassador, the Pope said in his departure remarks that he had raised the issue of abortion in the private meeting, so I guess that means he did it in the one-on- one session. Do you know if the President made a response in that meeting on that issue? AMBASSADOR FLYNN: I have to say that if there was a response I think the response -- and I would have to ask the President directly that and I thought the President said to me that the issues of foreign policy and issues of social and economic justice were the principal issues that came up in the private meeting. But, you know, as far as the Holy Father's reference to the value of life, I don't think that that's anything new. I think everybody in the universe understands what the Holy Father's position is. It's been very, very clear. It's been very articulate. It's been very much consistent with Catholic doctrine. And I don't think anybody, certainly the President of the United States, expected that anybody's opinion would be -- point of view would be changed by this meeting here today in Denver. And, certainly, the President has his position and the Holy Father has his position on this very important issue. But I think it's also very important to point out that there was an enormous amount of common ground on the issues of conscience and social and economic justice. When I heard the two leaders talking about the issues of health care for millions not only of Americans -- 37 million Americans do not have health care -- and the remarkable role that the Catholic Church plays in the United States in providing health care for poor, for women, and for needy people. I think there is strong common ground on that issue. I heard them talking about social justice. The recent bill that was signed into law by the President of the United States that for the very first time kind of bridges the gap between the powerful and the wealthy and the poor. Some 20 million American families moved from poverty, over the poverty line because of the leadership of President Clinton. I heard them talking about -- and I heard the Pope publicly state at Stapleton Airport his concern and his prayers for the victims at the flood in the middle east -- in the midwest of the United States. I thought it was ironic because the President just came from signing a $6.2 billion emergency relief bill to put families in Missouri and Kansas and Iowa back on track and bringing normalcy back to their lives. I'd say as I've learned to understand both of these two remarkable leaders -- I know President Clinton very, very well. I've met the Holy Father now, this is the fourth time. I think that if you took a survey of the hundred most important issues that are on their minds, that they're both fighters and champions of, not in their official, necessarily their official positions, but in their positions as their feelings -- their gut feelings as human beings, I would say that 97 percent of the issues of conscience and social and economic justice, fighting for working people, for poor people, for needy people, for children. I'd say that there is a enormous amount of alliance, of partnership between the President to the United States and the Holy Father. And it was -- I've seen Bill Clinton on the campaign trail for a number of months. I can't tell you when I've seen him more excited, more pleased, more honored to meet with a leader, as he was here today. It was a genuine feeling that the President has of respect and admiration for the Holy Father and what he is able to accomplish in his lifetime from the situation of practically bringing down communism to his strong articulate clear voice on the issues of needy people and poor people. I think there was a genuine affection, partnership that was built here today in Denver between the President to the United States and the Holy Father. Q Ambassador, did the Pope express concern about militarization in places such as Somalia and Bosnia? AMBASSADOR FLYNN: I've had this conversation with Cardinal Secretary of State Sodano and we had a private meeting with Mr. Burger and myself. And we just restated as the President restated to the Holy Father what the United States mission objective is in the former Yugoslav republics, and that is, one, to bring peace and to bring tranquility to the families and the people in those war-torn countries; and secondly, to bring in humanitarian aid, food and medical supplies into those areas. But again, the President had to make it very, very clear that the United States cannot turn its back on the suffering and the misery of innocent people. And there are tragic human rights violations that are taking place, and the President wanted to make that clear to the Holy Father as an issue of conscience on behalf of the people of the United States. Thank you. END5:57 P.M. MDT