What Diplomacy for the Vatican?

Diplomacy and religion in Russia

In his speech of 27 February 2022, Vladimir Putin justified his “special operation” in Ukraine through his Orthodoxy. In other words, through the glory and justice it would bring—and was duty-bound to bring—to the Russian Church. Through a metaphysical theory, Patriarch Kirill, head of the Church, described this war as “an operation against the forces of evil,” advocating, like Vladimir Putin, for a Russian world freed from the Western threat. By legitimising this armed conflict, Patriarch Kirill turns away from Christian values and bypasses the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople, who had granted autocephaly to the Ukrainian Church, that is, religious independence. At the head of spiritual power since 2009, the Patriarch of Moscow acts like an employee of the head of state and reproaches Christians around the world for straying from the right path. In his letter to the WCC (World Council of Churches), he wrote that “Russia [was] the only one defending Christian values.”

If, as in this example, religion can be used to justify armed conflicts—as Islamic conquests and the Crusades remind us—religious diplomacy has also proven to be pacifist. While Western forces were sending military equipment and soldiers to the front, Pope Francis issued strong calls for an end to the fighting, went personally to the Russian embassy, organised video conferences with the Patriarch, and appointed two special envoys to the Hungarian border to show his support and closeness to those who suffer. Several dozen Ukrainian children were also received in his hospital in Rome, the Bambino Gesù.

The historical diplomacy of the Holy See

A small state of 44 hectares and about a thousand inhabitants, the Vatican has no army and is not an economic power. Yet this small geographical entity is internationally recognised thanks to its moral authority. The Pope extends his influence over the 1.2 billion Catholics spread across the world (17% of the world’s population), and his popularity, which transcends borders, grants the Holy See a form of soft power that in reality rests on specific and original powers linked to its hybrid identity—an entity that is at once a religious organisation, a political organisation, and a humanitarian organisation—to which one could add, in Weberian terms, the charisma of its leader, largely due to his sacralisation.

In 2014, Pope Francis explained to journalists: “Diplomacy is the art of the possible and of making the possible real.” It is through this practice, this papal tradition spanning 1,500 years, that international Catholic involvement makes the Holy See one of the best-informed networks in the world. The Pope is capable of intervening to defend Christian minorities, as in Syria, and his positions on social issues carry significant consequences, as illustrated by Italy’s “Pro Vita” movement and France’s “Sens Commun.” Likewise, his appearance on the covers of international magazines and newspapers at each visit, and the cultural policy of Catholic schools that heed his recommendations, are further signs of his influence.

The administration of the Holy See also has, through the Section for Relations with States, a service dedicated to the political monitoring of its diplomatic relations. The Supreme Pontiff is represented before churches as well as before those who govern nations, with whom he often maintains good relations. Endowed with international legal personality, the Pope is involved in various international and UN institutions as an observer member. Among them are the United Nations, the European Union, and the Council of Europe.

It is also through NGOs—such as Caritas Internationalis, Pax Christi International, and the Sant’Egidio Community—that the Pope projects his voice and influence. While the Pope pleads for Christian charity within the European Parliament, it is indeed these NGOs, largely humanitarian, that translate it into concrete action in Lampedusa, Sicily, Syria, or Lesbos.

An internaitonal papal humanitarian service

The Pope also acts as a whistleblower within institutional forums, denouncing the liberal international order and financial capitalism before members of ECOSOC, UNESCO, and the OSCE. The positions taken by the Holy See are multiplying and help to open and advance debates concerning the common goods of humanity. Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran (1943–2018) clearly defined the aims of Vatican diplomacy: “A religious activity without interference from power, without any subordination, and in cooperation between society and religious authority.” Yet Vatican diplomacy is compelled to engage in dialogue with sovereign states in the interest of its community. It even signed a series of agreements in 2018 with China on the appointment of bishops, with the aim of normalising parishes and practices for its 12 million Chinese Catholics.

The Vatican certainly transcends borders, but it is clear that it places the Christian community at the centre of its attention, even if this sometimes means silencing its charitable claims. During his visit to Myanmar, for example, the Pope—who had criticised from Rome the treatment of the Rohingya minority—refrained from mentioning them during his visit, prioritising relations between the Holy See and the Burmese state in order to protect first and foremost the country’s Christian minority.

While favouring its own community, the Pope’s non-involvement in political affairs nonetheless makes him an excellent mediator. Well placed to resolve conflicts, he has often distinguished himself in historic processes of normalising relations.

The Vatican as an international mediator

The unofficial meeting between Raúl Castro’s Cuba and Obama’s United States took place on the soil of the Holy See. Solicited by an American delegation, Pope Benedict XVI responded swiftly and enabled discussions between the two countries, which subsequently normalised their relations under papal encouragement. The 1978 Treaty of Montevideo between Chile and Argentina was also concluded at the Vatican. Pope John Paul II succeeded in persuading Argentina—a very Catholic country—to renounce its military operation to reclaim Cape Horn, several islands, and the Beagle Channel awarded to Chile.

More recently, Pope Francis’s unprecedented visit to the Levant in 2014 testified to his objectivity and benevolence, perfectly reflecting the Church’s peaceful intentions. By visiting the tomb of the founder of Zionism, Theodor Herzl, and recognising the State of Palestine by mentioning it in his speech, the Pope accepted both narratives—lamenting Israeli victims of terrorism while protesting against Palestinian misery, traumatised by occupation and deserving to live as a free people.

The papal constant, above naitonal politics

Prince Philippe of Belgium; the Italian, Polish, Lithuanian, Portuguese, Hungarian, Czech, and Togolese presidents; former Queen Sofía of Spain; the French Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin; an American ambassador; and even the Patriarchates of Moscow and Constantinople—all were among the political figures present at the funeral of the recently deceased Pope Benedict XVI. Regardless of their political affiliation or confession, their presence attested to papal popularity.

The diplomatic hopes and the causes defended by pontifical actors and the Pope form a constant that transcends geopolitical rivalries, national borders, historical evolutions, and ethnic conflicts. While its borders are religious, Christian charity drives it to act for others, especially “citizens on the margins.” As a unique figure in the political challenges of cooperation, the Vatican highlights the importance of cultural issues that integrate the religious dimension. Although it neither has the capacity nor the interest to defend any national interest, the small state invites reflection on a vision that is too exclusively focused on military and financial relations.

Papals’ advocacy for refugees and migrants, for the defence of environmental causes, against inequalities, and even on same-sex marriage, testify to the Pope’s commitment in the name of Catholic ideals, whatever they may be. Always working for the human person rather than abstract forms of belonging, the Vatican continues to watch over its community and to help others, when conflicts of interest do not prevent it from doing so.