New York City, N.Y., Oct 22, 2018 / 14:30 pm
Ambassador Nikki Haley used her speech at the annual Al Smith dinner in New York City to acknowledge the Church's efforts to address the sexual abuse scandal while continuing its "incredible work" helping "millions of desperate people" around the world.
The outgoing U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations was the guest of honor at the fundraising dinner for the Archdiocese of New York, held Oct. 18. While the dinner raises millions of dollars for the Church's charitable outreach in the city, Haley said that the efforts she had seen went "way beyond that."
In the course of her time as ambassador, Haley said that she had been to some "truly dark places" where the suffering endured by many people would be "hard for most Americans to imagine."
"I've been to the border between Colombia and Venezuela, where people walk 3 hours each way in the blazing sun to get the only meal that they will have that day. Who's giving that meal? The Catholic Church," she said.
"I've been to refugee camps in Central Africa where young boys are kidnapped and forced to become child soldiers and young girls are raped as a matter of routine. Who was in the forefront of changing this culture of corruption and violence? The Catholic Church."
Haley also acknowledged the sexual abuse crises which have rocked the Church, both in the United States and globally, saying that she would "be remiss" if she did not mention the recent scandals. Noting that sexual abuse and assault was not a problem limited to the Church but one which "deeply touches the American family," she said that the Church had an obligation to victims.
"The church's place must be with the victims that carry the pain with them. I know the church leaders recognize its deep responsibility to address this moral failing, and it is taking action," she said. At the same time, the ambassador said that it would be "tragic" if the abuse scandal made the world blind to "the amazing good works the Catholic Church does every single day."
Haley called the Church's global works of charity, education, and healthcare "everyday miracles" and said that "those miracles are the way of the Church."
The annual event raises money for the Alfred E. Smith Foundation, which serves the "neediest children of the Archdiocese of New York, regardless of race, creed, or color." Each year, the dinner features a prominent politician; during presidential election years, the two main candidates are invited together.
Smith was the first Catholic to be nominated as a presidential candidate by one of the two leading U.S. political parties.
Speakers at the dinner traditionally deliver irreverent and light hearted political humor, and Haley offered good natured jokes at the expense of prominent Democrats and Republicans, including the president.
But she was also quick to place American political strife in context, criticizing the growing tendency to term political opponents as "evil."
"In the last two years, I've seen true evil. We have some serious political differences here at home. But our opponents are not evil. They're just our opponents," she said.
"We are blessed with a political system that allows us to resolve our differences peacefully. In the end, we must recognize that we are all Americans, and we are stronger and healthier when we are united."
Haley's appearance at the dinner came a little over a week after she announced that she will be stepping down from her role at the UN at the end of 2018. Haley had served as the UN Ambassador since the beginning of President Trump's term, having previously been the governor of South Carolina.
The dinner raised nearly $4 million.
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