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was clearly addressed by Pope John
XX III in April, 1963: "The sol–
dier's mission is a great one because
it is his task to
safeguard peace
for
the greater g lory of Chr ist and for
the spiritual well-being of the fami–
ly and of society."
As recently as last New Year's
Day, Pope John Paul 11, in an
address marking World Peace Day,
declared that "peoples have a right
and even a duty to protect their
existence and freedom by propor–
tionate means against an unjust
aggressor."
Decllning Prestige
The Roman Church reached the
zenith of its power during the reign
of Pope Innocent 111 ( 11 98- 1216).
His authority was felt in every
country in Europe.
From this pinnacle, the prestige
and authority of the papacy began
to plummet. With t he rise of
nationalism and the advent of the
Protestant Reformation, the politi–
cal as well as the spi ri tual muscle of
the papacy was eroded. Nations
began to go their separate ways,
and unity in the Christian world
fell to pieces.
"The wars of religion and the
collapse of church unity marked
the end of theology as the decisive
force i n Western civilization ,"
notes West German political figure
Franz Josef Strauss in
Challenge
and Response
(
1968).
The Vatican had to learn to live
with decreased innuence in an
increasingly divided world. The
outward form of the Holy Roman
Empi re continued for many centu–
ries , but it was not t he same
again.
In view of the historie role of
nationalism and the rise of denomi–
nationalism in the decline of papal
infl uence, it should come as no sur–
prise that a
reversa/
of those trends
is today seen as a key element in
the Vatican's bid for renewed clout
in the política! arena.
Catholic churchmen believe that
renewed church unity is necessary
if the papacy is to be effective in its
push for peace (see "Religious Uni–
ty- Key to World Peace?" in the
September-October
Plain Truth.
U.S. edition). Pope J ohn Paul
ll
has thus taken on the role of peace-
34
maker within divided Christendom
as well as within a divided world .
The reversa) of nationalism–
particularly in Europe-has also
become a major theme in Vatican
policy. As
The Plain Truth
has
reported, a powerful new papal
drive to
unite Europe
politically as
well as religiously is well under way
C'Ahead- Religious Unity of Eu–
rope," Apri l, 1982, U.S. edition).
Bold Course
The time has come, say a growing
number of cardinals and other top
Catholic churchmen, to get back to
a strong and influential papacy.
It
is time, they believe, for a
bolder
course
in the face of perilous world
conditions. They want to see the
diplomatic muscle of the Holy See
reinvigorated- and quickly!
Though long reluctant to reas–
sume a strong political role, the Vati–
can now feels that with the fate of
mankind in question, it has a
respon–
sibility
to make its voice heard more
forcefu lly on the international poli ti–
cal platform as a promoter of world
peace. Accordingly, Pope John Paul
11 has begun taking the initiative in
world trouble spots.
lt
was in Latin America that the
present Pope made his debut in
political affairs. A century-old terri–
torial dispute between Argentina
and Chile over the Beagle Islands at
the extreme southern tip of South
Amer ica threatened to erupt into
war late in 1978. As the two nations
stood at the brink of armed confl ict,
the Vatican stepped in and per–
suaded them to submit the border
controversy to papal mediat ion.
This was the first time a Pope had
attempted to settle an international
dispute since Leo XIII adjudicated a
Spanish-Portuguese quarrel over the
Caroline Islands in the Pacific in
1885. T hough parts of tbe papal
decision on the Beagle Islands are
still under discussion, John Paul 's
efforts cooled the dispute.
In a similar dispute early in 1981
between Ecuador and Peru over
unmarked sections of their com–
mon border, J ohn Paul appealed
directly to the leaders of those
nations for an equitable solution
through peaceful means. Again ,
war was averted.
Looking elsewhere in the world,
the Vatican has also hinted at a
possible role for the Pope in resolv–
ing the Middle East dispute. In
Eastern Europe, the Chu rch's
política! role in the Polish cr isis has
received much atten tion in the
news media.
Without ques tion, the Vatican is
actively raising its profile in the
political arena , establishing the
beginnings of a pattern that wi ll
strongly affect the course of future
world affairs.
The Pope's Ambassadors
The Vatican's reemergence into the
political arena has not been without
its critics. Considerable criticism
within the Catholic world has been
directed in recent years toward the
Vatican's diplomatic service.
Sorne want the Vatican to de–
empbasize its political and worldly
entanglements and to stick exclu–
sively to spiritual concerns.
Many non-Catholics probably do
not even realize that th< Vatican
has
a diplomatic service, tnuch less
a controversy over it.
T he Vatican is a uniquc institu–
tion.
It
is both Church and State. l t
is an international power in its own
right.
In addition to being spiritual
head of the wor ld's 750 mill ion
Roman Catholics, the Pope is also
the sovereign of a small principali–
ty, a legally constituted country
known as Vat ican City. As such ,
the Pope can- and
does- send
and
receive ambassadors just like the
leader of any other country.
Today, the Vatican exchanges
ambassadors, called apostolic nun–
cios, with nearly 100 countries.
Vatican diplomats are also assigned
to the United Nations and other
international organizations such as
the European Economic Communi–
ty (EEC).
Few realize that the Vatican is
one of the best informed centers on
international affairs in the world
today. Located in the papal palace
overlooking St. Peter's Square is
the Vatican 's Secretariat of State.
T he job of this office is to monitor
world events, convey instructions to
Vatican diplomats abroad and to
advise the Pope on international
issues.
With the trend in the Vatican
The PLAIN TRUTH