The June 2026 edition of the IRMO Brief, authored by Milan Veselica, deals with the Diplomacy of the Holy See and its role in the resolution of global conflicts. After the loss of the Papal States at the end of the 19th century, and the Pope’s confinement within the walls of the Vatican, his political struggle shifted to the realm of norms. Since the rise of ‘global Catholicism’ in the 20th century, the world has been marked by devastating wars, and the Pope’s central message has therefore focused on war and its destructive consequences for humanity. Some of the most successful examples of papal mediation and facilitation were the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and the Beagle Channel conflict (1979–1985). During the Iraq conflict, Iraq asked the Holy See to act as a ‘peacemaker’ with the United States, and the Vatican agreed. The author also analyses how mediating of the Holy See between Russia and Ukraine had failed due to absence of clear consent from both parties.
The Diplomacy of the Holy See and Its Role in the Resolution of Global Conflicts
