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Catholic World News News Feature

Pope hopes to expand Vatican diplomacy May 12, 2005

Speaking on May 11 to the Vatican diplomatic corps, Pope Benedict XVI said that he hoped to establish diplomatic ties with nations that are not yet represented at the Holy See.

In his first discourse to the diplomatic corps, the Pope did not refer directly to any specific international problems, or mention any particular countries except his own. Pope Benedict remarked that his native Germany had suffered through "war and the separation among brothers belonging to the same nation because of devastating and inhuman ideologies which, masked by dreams and illusions, brought down the yoke of oppression upon men and women."

The Pope thanked the assembled ambassadors for their diplomatic efforts, and for the gestures of support they had made after the death of Pope John Paul II and his own election. He mentioned that he was also grateful for the support offered by "the nations with whom the Holy See does not yet have diplomatic relations," and looked forward to strengthening ties with those countries. Although he did not list those nations, the Pontiff obviously was alluding to countries such as Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, and especially China.

Paying tribute to the international diplomatic efforts of his predecessor, John Paul II, Pope Benedict said that the Holy See would continue to act in "defense of the cause of peace." He welcomed the involvement of all nations in efforts to "overcome the temptations toward clashes between cultures, ethnic groups, and different worlds."

In defending peace, the Holy Father continued, "the Church never ceases to proclaim and defend fundamental human rights." These rights-- including "the right of every human person to life, food, housing, work, health care, the protection of the family, and the promotion of development"-- are still violated in many countries, he said, and the Church will continue to denounce those violations.

Finally, the Pope told the diplomats that the Catholic Church does not seek any special status from secular governments. Rather, the Church asks only "the legitimate conditions of freedom for her mission," and promises cooperation with all civil authorities in promoting the common good. After the Pope's discourse, each of the envoys accredited to the Holy See came forward to meet briefly with the Pontiff, exchanging a few words. As dean of the Vatican diplomatic corps, Giovanni Galassi of San Marino addressed the Pope for the group, saying that the world's leaders should appreciate the Vatican's work for "a new peaceful coexistence" as an alternative to "ideologies of power." The Vatican currently maintains full diplomatic relations with 174 countries. The Vatican diplomatic corps also includes special representatives of the Order of Malta, the Russian federation, and the Palestinian National authority. Three international bodies are also represented: the UN, the UN Commission on Human Rights, and the Arab League.

The number of ambassadors accredited to the Holy See nearly doubled during the pontificate of John Paul II. In 1978 there were only 92 countries with full diplomatic representation at the Vatican.