ROME -- Deep in the heart of Vatican City, Cuban-born Roman Catholic theologian Miguel H. Díaz has managed to find an Italian version of a sandwich that reminds him of home: pan con lechón.

``They're Italian pork sandwiches but very, very close to pan con lechón,'' said the Miami-raised university professor who was plucked out of academia by President Barack Obama for one of the most sought-after jobs in the U.S. diplomatic corps: U.S. ambassador to the Holy See.

``The woman has just adopted the family,'' he chuckled. ``We've gone in there several times, and she's like `L'ambasciatore Americano.' She knows exactly what I like.''

Since his official arrival in this historic city last month, Díaz, 46, has been seeking out the familiar while soaking in his new surroundings, from patronizing the shop that makes his favorite sandwich to hobnobbing with Catholic bishops and cardinals to sifting through endless invitations from curious Italians wanting to meet the man chosen to carry out U.S. foreign policy at the Vatican.

``There is so much hospitality accompanied by wonderful friendship and food that it's a wonderful challenge to have,'' Díaz told The Miami Herald in his first interview with a U.S. publication since arriving in the Italian capital.

But it's not all cocktail parties. Díaz will be working to shape policy on issues where the church and Obama administration share common goals: poverty, world hunger, human trafficking, the Middle East, HIV/AIDS, terrorism and the environment.

What he won't be doing: focusing on abortion or domestic problems confronting the Catholic Church, such as gay rights and the ordination of women priests.

``I am not here as a representative of the U.S. church nor a particular group, however noble that cause may be,'' he said. ``I am here as a diplomat, as a representative of the U.S. government.''

An alumnus of Miami Coral Park High and St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Díaz is an academic religious thinker who has made history as the first Hispanic appointed to this ambassadorship. The United States and the Holy See -- the ancient central government of the Roman Catholic Church -- established full diplomatic relations in 1984.

One of three top U.S. diplomatic posts in Italy -- there is an ambassador to Italy and another assigned to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations -- this is considered a prized appointment that often goes to someone close to the president. Díaz was among several Catholic religious advisors to Obama during his presidential campaign.

``Once an opportunity like this comes around, you can't really say `No' to something like this,'' he said.

Those who know Díaz said he's more than capable of fulfilling his new role.

``He's very gifted in many ways,'' said the Rev. Steven O'Hala, academic dean at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, where Díaz worked from 1998 to 2003. He was academic dean for two years before leaving for an associate professorship at Barry University in Miami Shores.

``He's able to relate to many different kinds of people even though he's a theologian by trade,'' O'Hala said. ``He's the kind of person who can easily relate to just about anybody.''

Díaz attributes the talent to his Miami experiences and humble roots as the child of Cuban immigrants.