{"id":169,"date":"2013-01-30T00:01:37","date_gmt":"2013-01-30T04:01:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.law.duq.edu\/juris\/?p=169"},"modified":"2013-09-05T00:01:59","modified_gmt":"2013-09-05T04:01:59","slug":"duquesne-law-professor-considered-for-ambassador-to-vatican-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.law.duq.edu\/juris\/2013\/01\/30\/duquesne-law-professor-considered-for-ambassador-to-vatican-city\/","title":{"rendered":"Duquesne Law Professor Considered for Ambassador to Vatican City"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Cafardi\"<\/a><\/p>\n

By Staci Fonner, Assoc. Print Editor<\/p>\n

Duquesne\u2019s own Dean Emeritus Nicholas Cafardi is one of only a handful of people being considered for ambassador to the Holy See, representing the interests of Vatican City.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an honor to be considered,\u201d Cafardi said.<\/p>\n

To his knowledge, the position will be filled by mid-February or March. Cafardi said that as he understands, it is currently on the desk of Pete Rouse, Counselor to the President.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs far as I know, I\u2019m one of at least four people being considered,\u201d Cafardi said. \u201cThere may be more.\u201d<\/p>\n

In both 2008 and 2012, Cafardi served on President Obama\u2019s National Catholic Advisory Board, which advises the President on how to handle issues of interest to the Catholic voters.<\/p>\n

Cafardi is not without his critics, some wondering how he can reconcile his liberal and Catholic views.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are people who don\u2019t understand how you can be a Catholic and a Democrat, but you can be,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe everything the church teaches. Where I disagree with some bishops is that they believe that they have the right to determine the political tactics that will achieve the Church’s moral teachings.\u00a0I think that right belongs to lay Catholics acting with an informed conscience.\u201d<\/p>\n

One concern among conservative Catholics is voting against pro-life ideologies.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a Catholic, I hate to see my church reduced to one issue,\u201d Cafardi said. \u201cI\u2019m very pro-life. I think abortion is a terrible evil. If I could think of a way to make it go away, I would. I don\u2019t think anybody is pro-abortion or thinks it is a societal value that we should pursue. Every abortion is a tragedy.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Cafardi believes overturning Roe v. Wade<\/i> is not the answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll overturning Roe<\/i> does is give the matter back to the states, so there will be some states where abortion will be legal and some states where it will be highly regulated, which means as long as Greyhound buses work, abortions will be available.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCountries where abortion is illegal, abortion rates are higher,\u201d he said. \u201cSo if we really want to deal with the evil of abortion, shouldn\u2019t we look at the facts?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cafardi grew up in a liberal, Catholic home in Pittsburgh. At age 18, he traveled to Rome and studied for three years at Gregorian University. He spent five years in seminary before deciding that priesthood was not for him.<\/p>\n

Returning to the States, Cafardi earned a master\u2019s degree in philosophy from Duquesne University and a law degree from the University of Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n

After graduating, Cafardi served as in-house counsel to the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, practicing many areas of the law.<\/p>\n

When asked why he wanted to pursue a career in law, Cafardi said it was his sense that the world was not fair and the idea that, as a lawyer, he could at least help make it fairer.<\/p>\n

[For more on Dean Cafardi, read Duquesne Law Professor Joseph Sabino Mistick’s TribLive Opinion Column\u00a0here<\/a>.]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Staci is a second-year day student at Duquesne Law and earned her bachelor\u2019s degree at Marshall University, where she studied public relations and journalism. Staci is interested in media law, contracts, immigration law and intellectual property, but her dream job is taking Matt Lauer\u2019s place on the Today show. Staci can be reached at standifords@duq.edu.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Staci Fonner, Assoc. Print Editor Duquesne\u2019s own Dean Emeritus Nicholas Cafardi is one of only a handful of people being considered for ambassador to the Holy See, representing the interests of Vatican City. \u201cIt\u2019s an honor to be considered,\u201d Cafardi said. To his knowledge, the position will be filled [\u2026] <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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