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Legions of the Pope? The Public Power of the Papacy - wykład prof. Mariano Barbato

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Legions of the Pope? The Public Power of the Papacy

Prof. Mariano Barbato

Venue: Willy Brandt Centre, 11th March, 5.00 pm


Why is the Holy See accepted as a subject of international law and as a peer among states? Why are the popes continuously invited and visited by state leaders, often celebrated and sometime heard in contested issues of world politics ranging from interreligious dialogue, environmental issues and family values to global economy, wealth distribution and war and peace? Given the contestations around religion, the Catholic Church and the papacy, answering these questions by pointing to an alleged soft power of the pope might not be entirely convincing.


In contrast to the mocking intentions of Stalin’s question about the “Legions of the Pope”, the papal public and political power in international, transnational and global affairs rests indeed on the ability to constantly mobilize masses on papal concerns. The capacity to mobilize plays an important role in safeguarding the Holy See’s international status. It is less effective when it comes to mobilizing masses for specific issues. However, based on the Holy See’s mass- backed status, its diplomatic personal is able to facilitate agendas and broker solutions. Sometimes curial diplomats are even able to organize coalitions and impose pressure in contested debates. The talk will discuss the relation between mass mobilization and papal diplomacy.



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Read 1124 times Last modified on Tuesday, 05 March 2019 13:59