Quote of the Day: U.S. papal nuncio

From Archbishop Pietro Sambi, new papal nuncio to the United States, in his first address to the U.S. bishops:

Archbishop Sambi highlighted the global role of the United States and the U.S. church with an anecdote about when he was the Vatican representative to Indonesia several years ago.

One Christmas, he said, he decided to celebrate the feast with a visit to a small, remote, primitive village where "I could not drink the water" because he was not immune to local bacteria or viruses.

Then a smoker, he also forgot to bring enough cigarettes with him.

When he arrived in the remote village, he said, in its street shops "I found Coca-Cola and Marlboros."

"I think the United States and the church of the United States has something more to bring to the world than Marlboros and Coca-Cola," he said. [source]