Century-old breach healed

THE UNITED States Congress has given final approval to ending a century-old ban on formal diplomatic relations between the United States and the Holy See.
The action came as the House and Senate disposed of dozens of bills before adjourning for the year. Among those bills was a measure authorising programmes for the State Department to which the Vatican relations issue had been attached earlier this year.
President Reagan was expected to sign the full bill into law. A White House spokeswoman said last week she had no information on whether Reagan planned to appoint an ambassador to the Holy Sec.
The measure approved by Congress does not require diplomatic relations between the United States and the Vatican. But Reagan administration officials have indicated support for the idea.
President Reagan has a
personal represenative to the Holy See, William Wilson, The Vatican's apostolic delegate in the United States, who does have diplomatic status. is Archbishop Pio Laghi.
By coincidence the Papal Secretary of State, Cardinal Agostino Casaroli, was in the United States and was scheduled to meet with Mr Reagan at the White House.
The proposal to end the ban on diplomatic relations with the Vatican was first introduced last summer by a Republican and later was attached to the State Department bill by Senator Richard Lugar.