24 May 2025
Written by: Emilie Sterna
On 8 May 2025, Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected as the first American pope, adopting the name Pope Leo XIV. As the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church and Bishop of Rome, the Pope occupies the highest office within Catholicism. He is considered the direct successor of Saint Peter, the chief of the apostles, which forms the basis of papal authority. This position is referred to as the papacy. It should be noted that other Christian groups, such as Protestants or the Orthodox, do not recognise the (full) authority of the Pope. His election marks a new chapter in the Vatican’s diplomatic relations on the world stage. In his first speech from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo called for peace and paid tribute to Pope Francis, who had died a few weeks earlier. This article aims to explore how Pope Leo XIV’s vision is shaping the Vatican’s diplomatic role and its place in contemporary geopolitics.
I. The Foundations of Vatican Diplomacy: its Traditions and Principles
The Vatican, even though it’s a small country, plays a huge role on the world stage. Regarding its diplomatic history, the Vatican has always played a crucial role because of its significant influence all around the world due to the large Catholic population. As an example, during the Cuba missile crisis in 1962, the Vatican took part in the discussion between U.S. President John F. Kennedy and the First Secretary of the Soviet Union Nikita Khrushchev, as a mediator to prevent a nuclear war. More recently, the former Pope Francis advocated for the environment, for the rights of refugees and for mutual understanding between Muslims and Christians in the Middle East. In other words, the reputation of the papacy has allowed the Vatican to maintain a unique influence in mediation in international affairs and moral leadership. However, the Vatican’s international relations are facing many challenges, mainly because of the growing number of Church members all over the world, which makes the diplomatic actions more varied and difficult. For instance, the decisions made in Rome may not correspond to the local realities of another country. Moreover, the Pope has the role of spreading his spiritual mission, especially the fundamental rights of all people. Therefore this special approach may not match the traditional methods of international relations, as a result, the goals and methods may be very different between the Vatican and other countries.
Vatican diplomacy is conducted by the Holy See, which is represented by the Pope and the Roman Curia (Vatican’s government). Its diplomatic activities are managed by the Secretariat of State and by Apostolic Nuncios, who act as ambassadors. The role of the Vatican diplomacy is to maintain diplomatic relations with 184 countries and international organisations like the European Union. It is also an observer of numerous world organisations such as the United Nations (UN), UNESCO, World Trade Organization (WTO), and the Council of Europe. Moreover, the Vatican is part of 11 international organisations. Besides its official diplomacy, the Holy See relies on a large global network through 4,500 bishops, as well as all the local religious communities and congregations, Catholic NGOs, and the Community of Sant’Egidio across the world, allowing it to access even crisis-stricken and rural areas. The core principles of the Holy See are peace, social justice, human rights, neutrality, and mediation. Thus, the Vatican diplomacy focuses on advocating for human dignity, the poor, dialogue and cooperation between countries and different religious groups, and respect for international laws. The Holy See is therefore a unique actor in international relations.
We can wonder how the new Pope Leo XIV positions himself within this tradition. Pope Leo in his first Sunday address calls for peace, particularly in the war in Ukraine, in Gaza, and also between India and Pakistan. Pope Leo follows the traditional principles of Vatican diplomacy, calling for ‘‘lasting peace’’ in conflict areas. His Secretary of State said it’s a new opportunity with Pope Leo XIV to pursue diplomacy with humility and compassion, a diplomacy that seeks the common good of all. In addition, he said that Pope Leo XIV is seeking greater justice, solidarity and peace around the world. And he will continue to defend people in need. In short, Pope Leo XIV emphasises continuity with tradition with a focus on peace, justice, truth and a ‘‘diplomacy of encounter’’, which means a diplomacy based on listening and dialogue.
II. Priorities and Initiatives under Pope Leo XIV
Pope Leo XIV said that Peace, Justice and Truth are the most important priorities of his papacy. He emphasises these values in his address to the Diplomatic Corps. Firstly, Pope Leo XIV explained that peace is the first gift from Christ. He acknowledged that conflict will always exist in human behaviour; nevertheless, peace calls everyone to action and to work on themselves, to take the right actions and use the right words so as not to hurt anyone. Secondly, Pope Leo says that justice refers to all the social inequalities in the world that we must always fight against. Finally,
Pope Leo declares that truth has to be linked to charity, kindness and care in order to build real trust between people and nations. He emphasises the importance of listening, social justice and dialogue between religions in order to achieve peace. However, in contrast to former Pope Francis, who was open to LGBT Catholics, Pope Leo declared that a family is a “stable union between a man and a woman”. This is not surprising given that Church doctrine defines a union only between a man and a woman, but this position can be seen as a decline in human rights.
Since the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV has taken several initiatives: he has called for ceasefires in Gaza, urged the release of all the Israeli hostages, offered mediation between Russia and Ukraine, and has also engaged with global leaders such as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Pope Leo XIV said ‘‘The Holy See is always ready to help bring enemies together, face-to-face, to talk to one another, so that peoples everywhere may once more find hope and recover the dignity they deserve, the dignity of peace’’. Zelenskiy expressed gratitude for the Holy See’s words and support for his diplomatic efforts. He added that the Vatican can play a helpful role in diplomacy. In his first speeches, Pope Leo tends to present the Vatican as a neutral actor and a reliable mediator who is able to engage with any party. He called for a diplomacy of patience and dialogue instead of direct interference. Global leaders gave a warm welcome to Pope Leo XIV. For instance, Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban reacted ‘‘We have a pope! There is hope!’’.
In conclusion, Pope Leo XIV’s vision is shaping a new diplomatic role for the Vatican based on its long tradition of moral leadership and mediation, while emphasising three important values: Peace, Justice and Truth. He is seeking a neutral approach, and aims to be a reliable actor on the world stage. He is ready to engage in dialogue with all parties and has offered to be a mediator in the current ongoing conflicts such as the war in Ukraine and the war in Gaza. His main goals are to focus on listening, encounter, and social justice. To sum up, Pope Leo XIV’s first actions show that he wants the Vatican to keep its unique role as a global moral actor, while finding new ways to face contemporary geopolitical challenges.
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