Vatican diplomacy
The Latest
U.S. Secretary Blinken meets Pope Francis: Vatican talks address Middle East and Ukraine
The State Department said discussions between Blinken and the pope focused on ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine... Read more
11 Vietnamese Christians missing from detention amid religious freedom concerns
A report released July 5 claims the missing individuals were sentenced between 2011 and 2016 to a combined total of... Read more
Israel’s foreign minister criticizes Vatican response to Hamas attack
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen spoke Oct. 15 with the Holy See’s foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, about the situation... Read more
Catholics from mainland China and across Asia in Mongolia for Mass with Pope Francis
While papal Masses on the pope’s other trips can draw hundreds of thousands of people, the Mass in Ulaanbaatar only... Read more
What Pope Francis’ trip to Mongolia could mean for Vatican relations with Russia and China
The pope’s upcoming trip could have geopolitical implications beyond the country’s small population of Catholics. Read more
Cardinal Zuppi to go to Moscow this week as Pope Francis’ peace envoy
Zuppi will arrive in Russia’s capital less than one week after a paramilitary organization known as the Wagner Group rebelled... Read more
Report: Nicaragua to close Vatican embassy in Managua, Nicaraguan embassy to Holy See
The request to close the two embassies follows just days after Pope Francis likened Nicaragua’s Sandinista government to Nazi Germany. Read more
Holy See and the Sultanate of Oman establish diplomatic ties
The move leaves only six countries worldwide without any diplomatic connection to the Vatican. Read more
To counter ‘third world war,’ Pope Francis proposes ‘truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom’
Pope Francis Monday gave his annual address to Vatican diplomats, describing the speech as “a call for peace in a... Read more
Analysis: What is behind Pope Francis’ appointment of the new prefect for the Eastern Churches?
For the role of prefect of the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches, Pope Francis has chosen Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, who... Read more
U.S. religious freedom commission ‘tremendously disappointed’ with Vatican-China deal renewal
A member of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom says it is “tremendously disappointed” with the Vatican’s decision. Read more
Vatican renews China deal for second time
The terms of the deal, first signed in 2018, have not been made public. Read more
Archbishop Paul Gallagher to represent Pope Francis at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral
Pope Francis’ representative at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will be veteran Vatican diplomat Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Holy... Read more
Report: Pope Francis sought to meet with Xi Jinping, but China declined
Pope Francis expressed his “availability” to meet with Chinese president Xi Jinping while both men were in Kazakhstan this week,... Read more
The geopolitics of Pope Francis’ trip to Kazakhstan
This week Pope Francis is traveling to Kazakhstan, a Muslim-majority country sandwiched between Russia and China. Read more
'Hope is dying' in Syria, nuncio says
Pope Francis’ representative in Syria has said people are losing hope as the Syrian civil war continues and widespread poverty... Read more
Pope Francis to future Vatican diplomats: See St Charles de Foucauld as model
The pope was speaking to members of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. Read more
With Cardinal Sodano’s death, an era has come to a close
At his peak, the Italian cardinal was arguably the Vatican’s most influential personality. Read more
Polish bishops’ leader: Vatican’s approach to Russia ‘naive and utopian’
Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki made the remark after a May 17-20 visit to Ukraine. Read more
Vatican foreign minister meets Ukrainian counterpart in Kyiv
Archbishop Paul Gallagher prayed at a former mass grave site in Bucha during his Ukraine visit. Read more
