ince the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, the Vatican has been proactive in calling for a ceasefire through Pope Francis's public statements and diplomatic talks with regional leaders. Though this involvement has not been without criticism. Many have blamed the Pope for maintaining excessive "equivalence" between the two sides and failing to condemn the Hamas attacks firmly. Furthermore, this criticism is not new since the Vatican, under Pope Francis, has adopted a realist approach to foreign affairs—trying to become a mediator of global conflicts like the one that exploded in Ukraine in 2022. So far, its results have been somewhat limited.
Under Francis's guidance, the Vatican has adopted a realpolitik approach to foreign affairs which has allowed it to build links with developing countries worldwide that do not necessarily share the values of the Catholic Church. This strategy contrasts with Pope John Paul II's solid anti-communist, pro-West stances during the Cold War.
Although there is a growing mismatch between the church as a religious entity that heads a global community of believers and the Vatican as a political actor, its mediator role in international conflicts remains minimal compared to countries like the United States, China, or Russia which have economic and military capabilities. The Vatican can only exert a "soft power" aiming to influence other leaders or Catholic communities within different countries.
Pope Francis's recent diplomatic strategy has primarily focused on direct talks with regional and international leaders. In 2023, he had phone calls between late October and early November with U.S. President Joe Biden, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and Israel President Isaac Herzog. The one with Herzog was particularly significant. According to an anonymous Israeli senior official who reported the news, the Pope warned the Israeli President about his country's military response in Gaza, saying Israel is forbidden to “respond to terror with terror.” Herzog protested, stressing Israel was doing what was necessary to defend its people.
In addition, on 22 November, Pope Francis hosted two delegations from the Palestinian and Jewish communities in the Vatican. At the end of the meeting, he declared, "Wars do this, but here we have gone beyond wars: this is not war; it is terrorism. Please let us move forward for peace; pray for peace."
The term 'terrorism' has outraged the Jewish community. Noemi Di Segni, the President of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, told ANSA, the Italian news agency, "The Pope puts everyone on the same level regarding the starting and finishing points. But the starting point is the terrorism that is used to execute a plan to exterminate the Jews throughout the world, while the war is necessary for the defense of Israel and its people."
Despite this disapproval, Pope Francis has made no secret of his desire to revive the Vatican's role as a diplomatic actor since his 2013 election, even at the cost of making unpopular decisions. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he tried to mediate between both sides without initially condemning Moscow—a decision that sparked criticism in circles close to the Christian community. This strategy also resulted in a diplomatic failure, culminating in discontent in Kyiv and Moscow when the Pope revealed alleged secret dialogues with both countries. Dmitry Peskov, a Zelensky close advisor, commented, "The President has not consented to such discussions on Ukraine's behalf… If talks are happening, they are without our knowledge or blessing."
The Vatican has adopted a similar balancing approach to Israel-Hamas, influenced by its long-term support for the two-state solution and by its warm relations with the Palestinian authorities that, over the last decades, have frequently reciprocated with symbolic acts like Arafat and Abu Mazen's attendance at the annual Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity Christmas celebrations. In an interview with the Italian magazine Panorama, the Vaticanist Gian Franco Svidercoschi said: "In recent years, the Vatican State, while continuing to support the right of the Palestinian people to have a state, has almost dropped its relationship with Judaism... After the visits of John Paul II ... to synagogues, there has been no real commitment to develop dialogue with Jews." Bilateral ties between the Vatican and Israel further worsened after Pope Francis recognized Palestine in 2015.
The Israel-Hamas war has highlighted these contradictions and relegated Pope Francis to a minor role. His public statements have also dissatisfied the public opinion, both pro-Palestine and pro-Israel, as the global community hoped for a clear stance in the conflict aftermath. Thus, the Vatican has been particularly damaged by their attempt to enter diplomatically into the Middle East's thorniest conflict due to this dual failure: their ineffective pursuit of becoming a mediator in global conflicts and disapproval from both civil society and the Christian community. There’s no room for a significant change on the horizon.
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Global Turmoil Tests Pope Francis's Diplomatic Realism
St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City. Photo by Xavier Coiffic on Unsplash
January 11, 2024
Under Pope Francis, the Vatican has adopted a realist approach to foreign affairs, setting aside moral stances as it seeks to mediate international conflicts. Yet the Vatican only wields soft power, and has been unable to do so effectively in this role thus far, writes Elia Preto Martini.
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ince the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, the Vatican has been proactive in calling for a ceasefire through Pope Francis's public statements and diplomatic talks with regional leaders. Though this involvement has not been without criticism. Many have blamed the Pope for maintaining excessive "equivalence" between the two sides and failing to condemn the Hamas attacks firmly. Furthermore, this criticism is not new since the Vatican, under Pope Francis, has adopted a realist approach to foreign affairs—trying to become a mediator of global conflicts like the one that exploded in Ukraine in 2022. So far, its results have been somewhat limited.
Under Francis's guidance, the Vatican has adopted a realpolitik approach to foreign affairs which has allowed it to build links with developing countries worldwide that do not necessarily share the values of the Catholic Church. This strategy contrasts with Pope John Paul II's solid anti-communist, pro-West stances during the Cold War.
Although there is a growing mismatch between the church as a religious entity that heads a global community of believers and the Vatican as a political actor, its mediator role in international conflicts remains minimal compared to countries like the United States, China, or Russia which have economic and military capabilities. The Vatican can only exert a "soft power" aiming to influence other leaders or Catholic communities within different countries.
Pope Francis's recent diplomatic strategy has primarily focused on direct talks with regional and international leaders. In 2023, he had phone calls between late October and early November with U.S. President Joe Biden, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and Israel President Isaac Herzog. The one with Herzog was particularly significant. According to an anonymous Israeli senior official who reported the news, the Pope warned the Israeli President about his country's military response in Gaza, saying Israel is forbidden to “respond to terror with terror.” Herzog protested, stressing Israel was doing what was necessary to defend its people.
In addition, on 22 November, Pope Francis hosted two delegations from the Palestinian and Jewish communities in the Vatican. At the end of the meeting, he declared, "Wars do this, but here we have gone beyond wars: this is not war; it is terrorism. Please let us move forward for peace; pray for peace."
The term 'terrorism' has outraged the Jewish community. Noemi Di Segni, the President of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, told ANSA, the Italian news agency, "The Pope puts everyone on the same level regarding the starting and finishing points. But the starting point is the terrorism that is used to execute a plan to exterminate the Jews throughout the world, while the war is necessary for the defense of Israel and its people."
Despite this disapproval, Pope Francis has made no secret of his desire to revive the Vatican's role as a diplomatic actor since his 2013 election, even at the cost of making unpopular decisions. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he tried to mediate between both sides without initially condemning Moscow—a decision that sparked criticism in circles close to the Christian community. This strategy also resulted in a diplomatic failure, culminating in discontent in Kyiv and Moscow when the Pope revealed alleged secret dialogues with both countries. Dmitry Peskov, a Zelensky close advisor, commented, "The President has not consented to such discussions on Ukraine's behalf… If talks are happening, they are without our knowledge or blessing."
The Vatican has adopted a similar balancing approach to Israel-Hamas, influenced by its long-term support for the two-state solution and by its warm relations with the Palestinian authorities that, over the last decades, have frequently reciprocated with symbolic acts like Arafat and Abu Mazen's attendance at the annual Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity Christmas celebrations. In an interview with the Italian magazine Panorama, the Vaticanist Gian Franco Svidercoschi said: "In recent years, the Vatican State, while continuing to support the right of the Palestinian people to have a state, has almost dropped its relationship with Judaism... After the visits of John Paul II ... to synagogues, there has been no real commitment to develop dialogue with Jews." Bilateral ties between the Vatican and Israel further worsened after Pope Francis recognized Palestine in 2015.
The Israel-Hamas war has highlighted these contradictions and relegated Pope Francis to a minor role. His public statements have also dissatisfied the public opinion, both pro-Palestine and pro-Israel, as the global community hoped for a clear stance in the conflict aftermath. Thus, the Vatican has been particularly damaged by their attempt to enter diplomatically into the Middle East's thorniest conflict due to this dual failure: their ineffective pursuit of becoming a mediator in global conflicts and disapproval from both civil society and the Christian community. There’s no room for a significant change on the horizon.
