The new Canadian ambassador to the Holy See met with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Monday.
Dennis Savoie presented his letter of credentials, after beginning a four-year term in October; the post had been vacant for more than a year.
The 69-year-old spoke with Vatican Radio about his mission, saying he is already trying to «establish a network within the area of the Holy See and government to try to, together, try to identify in what areas both countries, so to speak, could collaborate for the betterment of humanity,” he said.
This is Savoie’s first diplomatic post.
“Diplomacy for me is a brand new area and I’m sure it’s because of my involvement with the Knights that I’m here,” he told Vatican Radio. “I hope that my experience with the Knights [of Columbus] as a …very profoundly Catholic organization, highly ethical from a business point of view… I hope that experience, knowing how the Church functions a bit, will no doubt help me.”
He explained to the Radio that he has tried to live his life by three benchmarks: “Whatever you do, do it with integrity and honesty. You’re integrity is not for sale, bottom line. Always aim for excellence. In other words, do the best you can at all times. And always be concerned about the human concern.”
“They served me well over the years,” he said, and looking forward to his new mission, he added, “Hopefully we’ll be able to make a small difference in whatever we do to help the world.»
