Chicago Teamsters President Visits Vatican With Cardinal George

Coli: Church’s Social Message Relevant to Labor Struggles

Teamsters Joint Council 25 President John T. Coli (right) and
Chicago Archbishop Cardinal Francis George in Rome

Teamsters Joint Council 25 President John T. Coli embarked on a nine-day pilgrimage to Rome Feb. 8-16, joining Chicago Archbishop Cardinal Francis George during his ad limina journey to the Vatican.

The invitation abroad included Coli in a delegation of 43 guests, accompanied by the auxiliary bishops of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Conducted approximately every five years, the ad limina is an opportunity for Cardinal George to report to the pope on the state of his diocese and visit holy sites throughout Rome.

“As a practicing Catholic with an Italian heritage, my inclusion in the pilgrimage was not only a professional honor but a tremendously personal blessing,” said Coli. “The Catholic Church has always delivered a resonant message on the dignity and vulnerability of the worker, and I thank the Archdiocese for continuing to recognize the role of the Chicago Teamsters to protect the dignity of workers.”

The trip officially got underway on Feb. 9 with an afternoon mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, a regular stop for the delegation. Coli had the chance to visit some of the oldest churches in Rome as well, such as St. Sebastian’s and its catacombs, Basilica Santa Maria, Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls and the Sistine Chapel.

On Feb. 13, the delegation toured the gardens and ethnological museums of the Vatican, including Restoration Laboratory, where the “Madonna and Child” was being restored in honor of Cardinal George. Coli attended a reception the same day at Lateran Palace, the residence of the Cardinal Vicar of Rome, with the Chicago bishops.

On Feb. 15, the Joint Council 25 President concluded the last leg of his journey with Cardinal George at a Papal Audience with Pope Benedict XVI.

“Just three years ago, the pope delivered a rare encyclical on the similarities between Catholic teachings and organized labor, that we each need synthesis between capital and the common good,” said Coli. “It’s still relevant. Workers are still vulnerable, working conditions are still under attack and the Teamsters must still be committed to repairing and improving the common good.”

The pope’s encyclical in 2009 called labor unions essential to solving the world’s economic crises. It was the first such address since 1991, when Pope John Paul II described unions as indispensible elements of social life in modern industrialized societies.

Teamsters Joint Council 25 represents more than 100,000 hardworking men and women throughout Illinois and northwest Indiana.

Download PDF

LATEST NEWS »