Pope Leo has given a wide-ranging interview to the publication Crux, which reveals much about how the new pontiff views his own global role. While much of the subsequent coverage has focused on his condemnation of billionaires, at least as interesting is the Pope’s claim that “the United Nations, at least at this moment in time, has lost its ability to bring people together on multilateral issues.”

Until now, popes in the modern era have been fervent supporters of the UN and believers in its ability to resolve disputes. Visiting the organisation’s headquarters in New York in 1965, Pope Paul VI made an impassioned plea for world peace, saying: “Jamais plus la guerre!” His hope, which seemed reasonable then, was that world peace was possible thanks to the UN. Six decades on, Pope Leo is effectively admitting that this confidence was misplaced, even if the Vatican has not abandoned its diplomatic efforts.

There are 95 Apostolic Nuncios in the world, or resident ambassadors of the Holy See. The Vatican is also accredited to countries which it recognises as practising religious toleration and freedom of conscience. This excludes Saudi Arabia and China, though the Vatican has made strenuous efforts to be friendly with both without establishing formal relations. It still has a mission in Taiwan, yet has entered an extraordinary agreement with Beijing which allows the Communist Party a say in the appointment of Catholic bishops.

This last agreement, never published, perhaps shows the naivety of the Vatican’s diplomacy, and indicates why the Pope’s role on the world stage has diminished. Atheist party hacks can dictate the appointment of Catholic prelates, but what does the Church receive in return? The Chinese government continues to crack down on Christians while reaping the benefits of a lopsided agreement. Meanwhile, Vatican friendliness towards Saudi Arabia has yielded no tangible results, nor has its diplomatic presence in Iran had any discernible moderating effect on the mullahs. Perhaps the most telling detail is that the Vatican still clings to a two-state solution in the Holy Land and supports the internationalisation of Jerusalem under the United Nations — surely a forlorn hope.

In admitting the shortcomings of the UN, which “in theory…should be the place where many of these issues are dealt with”, Pope Leo is at least sounding a note of realism. Perhaps he will also see that the Vatican has allowed itself to be used by powers such as Russia, where its constant attempts to tread a middle path and act as a mediator have not only led nowhere but may have alienated many in Ukraine, which has a significant Catholic population. Take, for example, Pope Francis’s call for the “courage of the white flag”.

What Vatican diplomacy does best is give moral support to struggling countries in the Third World. Consider its latest mission in South Sudan, Africa’s newest nation, where its representative is building a nunciature from scratch in a country wracked by disturbance and tormented by famine. Here, the Vatican’s presence on the ground acts as a powerful witness on behalf of the world’s least fortunate.

The Vatican wants to bring enemies together, and to get nations to talk to one another. Historically, it has brokered important international agreements, such as the Treaty of Tordesillas between Spain and Portugal way back in 1494. More recently, Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a civil sit-down at the funeral of Pope Francis, after their stormy meeting in the White House earlier this year. But the idea of the Vatican being decisive in the world of modern international relations seems quaint today.

Pope Leo confesses that “the totally new aspect to this job is being thrown onto the level of world leader” at “a time when the voice of the church has a significant role to play”. World leaders will always be respectful to the Pope, not least to keep Catholic voters sweet. But will the likes of Putin listen to the Vatican? It’s doubtful that the Church still has a “significant role to play”, and the Pope’s real diplomatic skill can only be harnessed when he realises this.

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Alexander Lucie-Smith is a Catholic priest and the author of several books. His latest work is a series of stories about the Sicilian Mafia.

ALucieSmith

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