In different ways, the Irish archbishop and the Italian cardinal represent the best of an ancient and often contentious quirk of the international scene: the fact that the Roman Catholic church, alone among faiths, is a diplomatic player.

• 虽然方式不同，但爱尔兰籍的总主教和意大利籍的枢机主教都代表了在国际舞台上处理那些由来已久而又常常富有争议的突发事件的佼佼者：确实，在各种信仰中，惟有罗马天主教会是一个外交参与者。