Archbishop Gallagher: Vatican diplomacy has served peace for centuries
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States, delivered a speech in Cape Verde on May 11, marking 50 years of diplomatic ties between the Holy See and the country. He highlighted shared values such as defense of life, family, religious freedom, human rights, democracy, multilateralism, and adherence to international law. The speech also addressed global challenges including conflicts, climate crisis, inequalities, migration, technology, drug trafficking, value crises, individualism, and loss of truth. Gallagher emphasized that the central objective of papal diplomacy is to promote peace through dialogue and cooperation.
5 months ago
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the Holy See and Cape Verde by outlining the centuries‑old tradition of papal diplomacy, its core values, and the specific historical and contemporary links between the two partners. He highlighted the Church’s role in promoting peace, human dignity, and social development, while also noting recent steps to deepen cooperation in health and education 1.
Gallagher traced Vatican diplomacy back to the 11th‑century Gregorian Reform, when the “right of legation” was first institutionalised.
The 15th century saw the shift from occasional missions to permanent diplomatic posts—a model later adopted worldwide.
Further consolidation occurred in the 16th and 17th centuries with the formal distinction among nuncios, legates, and internuncios 1.
The Holy See now maintains formal relations with 184 states, plus the European Union and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, and hosts 93 accredited missions in Rome 1.
These relations are framed by “fundamental values” such as the defence of life, family, religious freedom, human rights, democracy, multilateralism, and international law 1.
Catholic missionaries arrived in 1462, and the Diocese of Santiago de Cabo Verde was established in 1533—the first sub‑Saharan African diocese.
The Church has contributed to local culture, education, and healthcare, positioning itself as a “center of evangelisation and social organisation” without imposing political or economic systems 1.
Gallagher called for a “diplomacy of hope and values,” urging leaders to pursue a “disarmed and disarming peace” rooted in love and truth.
He encouraged continued commitment to the common good, justice, unity, and solidarity in Cape Verde and beyond 1.
Examine how Vatican diplomacy promotes peace through dialogue
Vatican diplomacy promotes peace through dialogue by grounding diplomatic work in truth about the human person, respect for rights, and patient engagement with other parties, even when outcomes are uncertain. In the Church’s view, dialogue is not a tactic to “win” negotiations; it is a moral and spiritual commitment aimed at reconciliation and the common good.
Vatican diplomatic contacts begin with a posture of attentive listening. In a speech to a newly appointed ambassador, John Paul II describes receiving diplomats and conversing with government leaders as “times of attentive listening,” meant to understand “preoccupations and… desires.”
Paul VI similarly identifies the essence of diplomacy as “to make peace,” not only by defending peace where it exists but by working to “re-establishing it where it has ceased to exist.” In his description, diplomacy advances peace by:
This method reflects a specifically Catholic understanding of dialogue: it is ordered to reconciliation, not merely to procedural compromise.
Vatican diplomacy also teaches that dialogue for peace requires tenacity, modesty, understanding, and patience. John Paul II openly acknowledges that diplomacy “does not always achieve the results one hoped to acquire,” but he insists that the Holy See must “begin a dialogue again” and seek new solutions as conditions permit.
Crucially, the Church distinguishes effectiveness from fidelity: “Efficiency is not the criterion for the value of the message that the Church has and gives to the world.” The measure is fidelity to God and to the human person, pursued through renewed dialogue over time.
A major way Vatican diplomacy promotes peace is by insisting that dialogue must be built on moral truth, especially concerning human dignity and natural law. A document associated with the 2011 World Day of Peace (from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) argues that politics and diplomacy should rely on “universal truths, principles and values” rooted in the dignity of the human person, and that moral truth is promoted practically by:
This matters for dialogue because it frames peace as more than the absence of violence: peace requires justice and respect for the person.
Vatican diplomacy also highlights human rights as a particular commitment. In a speech to the diplomatic corps, Paul VI states that there is a commitment “which the Holy See and its diplomacy consider particularly theirs: that which centres on… ‘human rights’.”
Underlying both themes is the conviction expressed by Benedict XVI that “without ‘an objective moral grounding, not even democracy is capable of ensuring a stable peace’,” and that dialogue must therefore be “sincere and truthful,” with practical respect for the rights of others.
Vatican diplomacy’s peace work also extends beyond state-to-state negotiations into dialogue across religions and cultures. The Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue links dialogue directly to building peace: the Church seeks “open dialogue… leading to truth by way of love alone” and stresses that such dialogue “excludes nobody.”
The same document ties cooperation to the pursuit of “genuine peace in the world,” grounding that cooperation in the common origin and destiny of humanity—because “God the Father is the origin and purpose of all mankind.”
Benedict XVI further clarifies that dialogue should support collaboration “on themes of mutual interest, such as the dignity of the human person, the search for the common good, the building of peace, and development.” He also warns that authentic dialogue must avoid “relativism and syncretism,” and must be inspired by “sincere respect” and “a generous spirit of reconciliation and fraternity.”
In this perspective, Vatican diplomacy promotes peace by forming conditions in which diverse communities can live together without violence and deceit—because dialogue is part of what it means to seek truth and love.
Vatican peace-building also proceeds through multilateral forums. Archbishop Gallagher (for the Holy See at UN settings) emphasizes that peace grows from implementing shared commitments not only at international level but also “in our own hearts and homes,” and that peace requires States and institutions to become “artisans of peace and weavers of constructive dialogue.”
At the “Summit of the Future,” the Holy See reaffirms the UN’s role as a major political achievement and links multilateralism to the possibility of peace and solidarity—while still calling for reform so that “the family of nations” has “real teeth.”
Gallagher also describes a moral and political aim for multilateral dialogue: reaching consensus to prevent “power” from being “co-opted only by a few countries” and to avoid “cultural impositions.” In Catholic terms, this supports peace by aligning negotiation structures with the common good rather than domination.
Vatican diplomacy not only articulates principles; it also practices dialogue in concrete regional contexts.
In statements on the Middle East, Archbishop Gallagher describes the Holy See’s long attention to the Israel–Palestine context and notes how peace initiatives are “welcome” when they do not harm local populations or disregard legitimate demands. He also recounts the establishment of diplomatic relations and a renewed dialogue with the Palestine Liberation Organisation, culminating in recognition of the State of Palestine.
A vivid example of the “dialogue for encounter” approach appears in the discussion of Jerusalem. The Holy See frames Jerusalem “not as a place of confrontation and division, but as one of encounter,” where Christians, Jews, and Muslims can live with “respect and mutual goodwill.” The proposal for a “special statute” is presented as a way to ensure equal rights and duties, freedom of religion and access to holy places, and respect for the relevant status regime.
Gallagher also points to the significance of high-level dialogue: he notes the meeting in the Vatican of Israeli and Palestinian presidents in 2014 to pray for peace and plant an olive tree—followed by a period without similar meetings, but with the Holy See continuing to “water that olive tree.”
At a deeper level, Catholic teaching links dialogue to the truth about God. Benedict XVI states that “to accept the Logos—this Divine thought—is ultimately to contribute to peace on earth,” because knowing God truly secures peace. He adds that a God not seen as “the font of forgiveness, of justice and of love” cannot be a light for the path of peace.
So Vatican diplomacy’s dialogue is not only political; it is shaped by a theological conviction that peace requires conversion of hearts and alignment with divine truth—encouraging reconciliation and respect that can sustain just structures over time.
Vatican diplomacy promotes peace through dialogue by treating dialogue as a listening practice, a patient and humble perseverance, and a moral commitment grounded in human dignity, rights, and natural law. It seeks reconciliation through justice and fairness, operates through multilateral institutions to build consensus for the common good, and supports interreligious encounter aimed at fraternity rather than relativism.