Foreign Relations of the Holy See

By Joshua O’Brien

First, the issue of terminology—in international law, the sovereign entity to which we would refer to as The Vatican—the seat of the Catholic Church—is actually the Holy See, not the Vatican City State. The Holy See is considered a non-state sovereign entity, with full control over the territory of the Vatican. But Vatican City, as a state, does not have international sovereignty. The Holy See, which can be thought of as the governing body of the global Catholic Church, does.

That terminology seems superfluous or redundant, but in evaluating foreign relations, it is actually a necessary exposition. The foreign relations of the Holy See are not focused on the concerns of territorial states—the issues the Vatican presents are more philosophical, humanitarian, and peace-oriented. Befitting of a religion with over a billion faithful.

The Holy See has relations with all of the recognized UN member states, save the People’s Republic of China, as well as with Palestine and the Republic of China. It has embassy equivalents termed apostolic nunciatures, and even a Cardinal Secretary of State. It is through these organs that the Holy See brings its concerns and ideas—typically very Catholic ideas—to states. In the United States, the Holy See’s political interests were typically on issues of morality and abortion. In recent years, and especially following the 2015 state visit of Pope Francis I, the Holy See has also been advocating for climate action.

International organizations, including the United Nations, accord the Holy See permanent observer status. Its representatives consistently attend General Assembly meetings and have been able to provide advice and sway outcomes on certain issues. Additionally, the Holy See is recognized as being able to ratify international treaties under international law. Often these take the form of concordats, bilateral agreements between countries that cover issues of the Catholic Church’s operation in particular countries.

This only scratches the surface, but regardless, the Holy See (read: leaders of the Catholic Church) is an important geopolitical entity. It has sway on issues, and its leaders make state visits comparable to those of a President. Popes even address joint sessions of Congress! Of course, everyone knows that the Catholic Church has political influence, given the sheer number of Catholics and how they might influence politics. This was a point of contention for the Presidential run of John F. Kennedy, and some pointed to it during the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court. But rarely is it fully acknowledged how strong of an influence the Holy See, as an institution, has in actual diplomatic proceedings. It brings a whole new conception to “Peace be with you”