The Diplomacy of Pope Francis: The Vatican and International Politics

A portrait of the Catholic Church's role in today's geopolitical framework through the eyes of the first Latin American popeIn an interconnected world marked by a "piecemeal world war" and dominated by apocalyptic perspectives, how did Pope Francis see the role of the Church? What are the roots of his "diplomacy of mercy"? How does a desire for mediation align with his vigorous denunciation of today's evils? And what specifically characterized the gestures and words of this pope who "came from the ends of the Earth"?In The Diplomacy of Pope Francis, Antonio Spadaro, SJ, highlights Pope Francis's geopolitical approach. Spadaro draws from personal interviews, official documents, and the pope's numerous cultural and intellectual references to reconstruct a map of Francis's actions through apostolic journeys, synodal events, and the Holy See's international policies. The result is an analysis of the achievements, orientations, and ongoing challenges that shaped Francis's legacy: the commitment to a new humanism in Europe, efforts to end conflicts and the tragedy of migrants, interreligious and international dialogues, the experience of the first global pandemic in the digital age, and attention to regions marked by sharp political contradictions.From this book, readers will gain a deeper understanding of the Church, of the global challenges it faces, and of the pope who sought Christ at the center of the relations between the two. Read more