For the past two years, St. John’s faculty and staff have been assisting the Holy See’s Observer Mission at the U.N., offering consultation, advice, and even active advocacy on such issues as women’s concerns and the environment.
From the pages of the Long Island Catholic…
Jamaica, Queens — Every university hopes to make the world a better place; St. John’s University, working with the Holy See at the United Nations, has found one way to do so.
For the past two years, St. John’s faculty and staff have been assisting the Holy See’s Observer Mission at the U.N., offering consultation, advice, and even active advocacy on such issues as women’s concerns and the environment.
“It has been an extraordinary experience,” said Marilyn Martone, associate professor of theology at St. John’s and a parishioner of St. Boniface Martyr Church, Sea Cliff. “This has been a great opportunity to serve the Church and address women’s concerns but also to broaden my own perspective.”
Dr. Martone and Mary Ann Dantuono, associate director of St. John’s Vincentian Center for Church and Society, have represented the Holy See before various U.N. entities. Ms. Dantuono, an attorney, formerly served on the staff of Rockville Centre Diocesan Catholic Charities.
In addition to growing in her understanding of the world, Ms. Dantuono said, the work has helped her deepen her appreciation of the Church’s commitment to social justice. “For almost a decade, I worked on social justice issues at the diocesan and state level for Catholic Charities. I also was a consultant for the U.S. bishops on women’s issues.
International commitment
“Now I have had an opportunity to see how the Church is involved at the international level,” said Ms. Dantuono, a parishioner of St. Aidan’s Church, Williston Park. “You really see that the Church is committed to the poor, that it is committed to family life, that it is committed to the value of each and every human person.”
She also has had the chance to benefit from the perspective of delegates from other parts of the world. “Coming from a First World perspective, there is so much that we don’t experience,” Dr. Martone said.
“How does a mother hold a baby who is dying from hunger in her arms? We heard from people who have seen this,” Ms. Dantuono said.
Ms. Dantuono also said that she learned more about the Church’s role in helping address these issues around the world. “In some countries where priority is given to educating boys and not girls, it’s the Daughters of Charity in Vietnam, the Josephites in another country, and the Sisters of Mercy somewhere else, who are educating girls. You hear the stories.
“The Church is doing a lot of what needs to be done,” Ms. Dantuono said. “We just have to convince the governments of the world to do it, too.” Frank Cantelmo, associate professor of biology at St. John’s and a member of its environmental studies program, has worked with the Holy See’s mission on deforestation and sustainable development. “I think a lot of people are surprised to learn that the Church is concerned with environmental issues.” There are also advantages to having lay university personnel representing the Holy See at the U.N., Dr. Cantelmo said. “Even the archbishop has said that when a ‘collar’ (priest) comes out, there is a knee-jerk reaction by some people. They don’t even listen to what is said.
“When lay people are speaking, particularly those who have the credentials to address these issues,” Dr. Cantelmo explained, some delegates are more open to what the Church has to say.
“This is something that we are all excited about,” said Daughter of Charity Sister Margaret John Kelly, director of St. John’s Vincentian Center for Church and Society.
“It all originated with a conversation between Archbishop Celistino Migliore, who heads the Holy See’s observer mission at the U.N., and Vincentian Father Donald Harrington, president of St. John’s, Sister Margaret said. “The archbishop said that he was looking for a Catholic university that could assist the mission.
“After all, there are so many issues that come before the U.N.,” Sister Margaret explained. “You couldn’t possibly staff a mission with the range of expertise you need.” Father Harrington volunteered St. John’s and asked Sister Margaret the Vincentian Center to coordinate. Dr. Martone and Ms. Dantuono said that they meet with Archbishop Migliore and members of his staff to discuss issues and how the Holy See can best respond. “Often they want to know: How important is this for women?” Ms. Dantuono said.
“Sometimes, we can suggest wordings” for statements that the mission is permitted to make in some instances, Dr. Martone said. The wording of statements on sensitive issues is important for putting the Church’s position in the best light without watering down the meaning of the Church’s message.
“In addition, we attend meetings” on behalf of the Holy See, Dr. Martone said. The two women write reports for the mission; although these meetings are well covered by the media, they can pick up on nuances that might escape media reporting. For example, if a delegate from a Latin American country made disproportionate references to “reproductive rights,” she said, “that might be something the Holy See would want to know.
“I sometimes wonder if anyone reads these reports,” Dr. Martone said, “but Archbishop Migliore assures us that they are read in Rome.”
Tags: Advocacy, Vietnam
