Julieta Valls Noyes, currently Chargé d’Affaires for the Embassy in the Ambassador's absence, discussed the ongoing relief effort in Haiti on Thursday, July 14, just over six months after the devastating earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people and left well over a million Haitians homeless.

The U.S. government condemns in the strongest terms the violent bombings in Kampala, Uganda, on the evening of the World Cup final Sunday that killed more than 74 innocent people.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims,” said the Chargé of the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, Julieta Valls Noyes.

July 2, 2010 – The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See marked U.S. Independence Day on July 2, 2010, on a sunny afternoon in the gardens of Villa Richardson, the Ambassador’s residence. More than 400 friends of the Embassy, including Vatican officials, journalists, religious and laypeople from many nations, celebrated the 234th birthday of the United States.

Archbishop Jerome Listecki of Milwaukee, Archbishop Dennis Schnurr of Cincinnati, and Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami each received their pallium on June 29, the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul, and an important date on which the Holy See recalls the modern Church's connections with the founders of the Roman Catholic Church. In addition to the three Americans, the Pope also elevated 35 archbishops from 25 other countries at the same ceremony.

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich, and his wife, Callista, visited the Embassy on June 11 for a briefing on the U.S.-Vatican relationship. Ambassador Miguel H. Díaz underlined that the Embassy to the Holy See plays a unique role, spanning both bilateral and multilateral functions.

On June 10, Ambassador Miguel H. Díaz hosted a reunion for a group of Vatican alumni of the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). The International Visitor program seeks to build mutual understanding between the United States and other countries. Over 4,000 IVLP participants travel to the United States from all over the world each year.

The Embassy hosted a conference on June 4 th at Centro Studi Americani (American Studies Center)to reflect upon President Barack Obama’s speech made one year ago in Cairo. The conference featured presentations by the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, Miguel H. Díaz, the Egyptian Ambassador to the Holy See, Lamia Mekhemar, and the Director of the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI), Father Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot. The lay Catholic association, Carità Politica, moderated the event.

On May 19th, the Embassy held a Louisiana Cultural Night with traditional Cajun food, music, and a film and short presentation about Louisiana’s unique culture. Ambassador Miguel H. Díaz discussed the history of the region’s African-American Catholics, and their contributions particularly to the region of southern Louisiana.

May 16, 2010 – Ambassador Díaz and his family joined the Ambassador to Italy, David H. Thorne, and the Ambassador to the UN Agencies in Rome, Ertharin Cousin, to attend Rome’s 11 th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, a run to raise funds and awareness to battle breast cancer.

Ambassador Miguel H. Díaz hosted a lunchtime meeting May 13 for a group of ambassadors accredited to the Holy See and representatives of “Rondine Cittadella della Pace.” The ambassadors – from a range of countries including Bosnia and Herzogovina, Croatia, Australia and Peru – heard about Rondine’s initiatives to bring together young people from conflict zones in an effort to reconcile differences and learn about one another’s cultures.

On May 11 th, Public Affairs Officer J. Nathan Bland visited the Iunior International Institute to speak with students about African-American history and the civil rights movement in the United States. The eighth graders, as part of their English language and culture class, have been focusing this year on African-American history.

On April 29 th, 2010, the Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission, Julieta Valls Noyes, spoke about American conceptions of identity with a group of Italian high school students, as part of a discussion series about migration and immigration, hosted by the U.S. Embassy to Italy and the American Studies Center in Rome.

[…] Sabato 17 aprile i tre ambasciatori degli Stati Uniti accreditati presso la Repubblica italiana, la Santa Sede e le Nazioni Unite hanno partecipato all’iniziativa “Speak Up and Clean Up” per ripulire i tag dai muri e rimuovere la spazzatura dalle strade di Trastevere. Gli ambasciatori David Thorne, Miguel Díaz ed Ertharin Cousin hanno affiancato i volontari coordinati dall’associazione Retake Rome e hanno ridipinto alcuni muri nell’area di Piazza Trilussa.

March 16, 2010 – Farah Pandith, the U.S. Special Representative to Muslim Communities, visited Rome recently to speak with Vatican officials, Italian authorities, and Muslim and Catholic youth and organizations working on inter-religious dialogue and identity. Vatican Radio interviewed Ms. Pandith during her visit.

March 11, 2010 – Dr. Scott Appleby, Director of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame, addressed a group of Vatican officials, priests and laypeople working on inter-religious dialogue on March 11th, as a guest of the U.S. Embassy.

March 11, 2010 – Ambassador Miguel Díaz participated in a panel discussion on the role of faith communities in civil society and policymaking on Thursday, March 11th, with a focus on the Christian and Muslim religions. The conference was organized by the international Catholic monthly magazine, 30Days.

March 3, 2010 – […] “I believe that together with the Holy See we can confront the great challenge of the 21st century, that of diversity, brought about by migration and demographic changes. Diversity – of peoples, races, cultures and religions – doesn’t have to be frightening, if we succeed in addressing it in a positive and constructive way.”

March 1, 2010 – The Embassy’s Public Affairs Officer, J. Nathan Bland, participated in a panel discussion hosted by the Loyola University of Chicago’s John Felice Center in Rome about the earthquake in Haiti and USG relief and reconstruction efforts.

[…] On Monday, February 22, Ambassador Miguel Díaz visited the campus of the University of Dallas’ Rome program to speak with over 120 students and faculty members. The Ambassador gave a comprehensive overview of relations between the United States and the Holy See, explaining the importance of this bilateral relationship.

On February 22nd, the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See and the Lay Centre co-hosted a film screening of the PBS documentary Legacy as part of the month’s events to commemorate African-American history. The U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, Miguel Díaz, and the U.S. Ambassador to the UN Agencies in Rome, Ertharin Cousin, led discussions after the film about the history and present-day realities of living in the United States for African-Americans.

President Obama, August 13, 2010 -- […] these events celebrate the role of faith in the lives of the American people. They remind us of the basic truth that we are all children of God, and we all draw strength and a sense of purpose from our beliefs. […] These events are also an affirmation of who we are as Americans.

On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I want to extend our best wishes to Muslims in America and around the world. Ramadan Kareem.

We welcome the release of seven political prisoners by the government of Cuba and the announcement by the Archbishop of Havana that additional prisoners could be released in the coming months.

Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, June 15, 2010 – “I welcome the nomination of Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook to be Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. Dr. Johnson Cook is an experienced religious leader with a passion for human rights and an impressive record of public service.”

Recent events in Cuba, including the tragic death of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, the repression visited upon Las Damas de Blanco, and the intensified harassment of those who dare to give voice to the desires of their fellow Cubans, are deeply disturbing.

Office of the Spokesman, March 16, 2010 – The United States, in cooperation with the Government of Haiti, will join the United Nations in co-hosting a ministerial-level International Donors’ Conference Towards a New Future for Haiti on March 31, 2010 in New York at UN Headquarters.

[…] Every year, the Secretary of State hosts a briefing like this one. And while in that sense it may seem routine, this event is extraordinary because of its connection to who we are as a country and to the universal aspirations we seek to make real through our foreign policy.

[…] L’8 marzo è la Giornata Internazionale delle Donne – una giornata per riflettere sui progressi compiuti nel mondo per affermare i diritti delle donne e per riconoscere quanto rimane ancora da fare. Quest’anno cade una ricorrenza alla quale sono particolarmente legata. Quindici anni fa, insieme a donne e uomini da tutto il mondo, presi parte alla Quarta Conferenza Mondiale delle Nazioni Unite sulle Donne, a Pechino.

Secretary Clinton, January 21, 2010 – […] “The internet can help bridge divides between people of different faiths. As the President said in Cairo, freedom of religion is central to the ability of people to live together. And as we look for ways to expand dialogue, the internet holds out such tremendous promise.” […]

February 4, 2010 – […] Progress comes when we open our hearts, when we extend our hands, when we recognize our common humanity. Progress comes when we look into the eyes of another and see the face of God. That we might do so -- that we will do so all the time, not just some of the time -- is my fervent prayer for our nation and the world

Ambassador-at-Large Luis CdeBaca, February 3, 2009: “In today’s meeting, we will look forward to a very candid and progressive discussion that highlights the work that each agency is conducting individually as well as collectively to combat modern slavery. In addition, it’s a chance to preview the anti-trafficking efforts in the days, weeks, and months ahead as we work together to make measured progress against every form of exploitation, including forced labor, peonage, and sexual servitude, in response to the President’s declaration of January as Human Trafficking and Slavery Awareness and Prevention Month.

This day marks the 145th anniversary of President Lincoln’s sending to the States for ratification the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which promised freedom from slavery and involuntary servitude.

[…] Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton outlined a set of principles that guide U.S. foreign and security policies with Europe, and also signaled the “unwavering commitment” of the United States to European security in a speech January 29 in Paris.

[…] It's because of this spirit -– this great decency and great strength -– that I have never been more hopeful about America's future than I am tonight. Despite our hardships, our union is strong. We do not give up. We do not quit. We do not allow fear or division to break our spirit. In this new decade, it's time the American people get a government that matches their decency; that embodies their strength.  And tonight, tonight I'd like to talk about how together we can deliver on that promise. 

[…] In the last week, we have been deeply moved by the heartbreaking images of the devastation in Haiti: parents searching through rubble for sons and daughters; children, frightened and alone, looking for their mothers and fathers. At this moment, entire parts of Port-au-Prince are in ruins, as families seek shelter in makeshift camps. It is a horrific scene of shattered lives in a poor nation that has already suffered so much.