10 May 2007
5. The fields of action of Vatican diplomacy
I trust that what I have explained thus far helps to shed light on the subject of Vatican diplomacy: the action is the expression of the acting subject.
If the subject of Vatican diplomacy is the Holy See, it is easy first of all to recognize those fields from which her diplomatic activity is absent, while being of primary importance for States: namely commercial relations, economic and financial questions, military forces, border disputes, and also the issues treated by Consulates (the Holy See does not have Consulates). Such questions lie outside the specific interest of the Holy See, unless they have repercussions on other issues, such as peace, or unless the States by mutual agreement request the Holy See’s intervention. This happened, for example, in 1885 (after the suppression of the Papal States) under Leo XIII, when Germany and Spain asked the Pope to arbitrate in their conflict over the Canary Islands, and they accepted his decision. More recently, in 1978, Argentina and Chile sought the mediation of the Holy See in their dispute over the Beagle Channel (the navies of the two States were prepared to engage in hostilities) and they were thus able to reach a peaceable agreement. Although these were temporal issues, the Holy See accepted the difficult role of mediation, because peace was in jeopardy, and moreover, between two States with predominantly Christian populations.
The interest and diplomatic action of the Holy See are present principally in the following areas:
a) Peace. The message of peace belongs to the heart of the Gospel message and is also one of Our Lord’s beatitudes: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Mt 5:9). Christ, as Saint Paul says, came to announce peace to those who are near and to those who are far away (cf. Eph 2:17). Peace is not just a general condition of non-belligerence, of cohabitation and non-interference in the internal affairs of other States; it is a great political edifice which, as Popes have emphasized in innumerable statements, rests on the pillars of truth, justice, freedom and solidarity. Peace is a great but fragile edifice, and it requires constant care and attention. In each of the Pope’s annual messages for the World Day of Peace on 1 January, vital aspects for the protection of peace are indicated; simply by perusing the list of topics chosen as titles for the individual World Peace Day messages from 1968 until today, one can grasp more specifically the areas in which the Holy See’s diplomatic activity is conducted.9
In this context I cannot fail to mention the determined support that the Holy See gives to the United Nations Organization as a universal institution; precisely because of its universality in drawing together States with different cultures and politics, all the problems related to the great problem of peace can and must find in the United Nations the natural forum for a peaceful debate and a constructive dialogue. There, in the vision of the Popes – mankind should have its supra-national body, as a “family of nations”. Is it utopia? We think it is a need.
b) Freedom. The most important end of human life is knowledge of the truth, and the truth can be known only through a free search and a free adherence. Among civil liberties, the Holy See holds that religious freedom is fundamental. It concerns the most important relationship that man has: his relationship with God. By its nature, religious freedom is expressed not only at a private level, but also socially, and not only at the level of individuals, but also collectively. Understandably, the Holy See’s diplomatic activity is directed above all towards the protection and promotion of the freedom of the Catholic faithful and the institutions of the Church; but she also recognizes her duty to promote the freedom of all people, without, however, claiming any right of interference in the rights of the faithful of other confessions.
A typical instrument in the service of the Church’s freedom is the drafting of Concordats, which the Holy See has concluded and continues to conclude with some States: they are treaties of international law that regulate matters of common interest for the State and the Church in such a way that the local Church can carry out her mission without impediment, in secure and serene collaboration with civil authorities.10