The Pope has shown this Thursday its concern over the escalation of violence between the US and Iran in his traditional address to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy see. In front of the ambassadors of the 183 countries with which the Vatican maintains relations, at the address where the Pontiff trace points that allow you to draw the geopolitical role of the Vatican, Francis said that “unfortunately, the New Year seems to be marked by encouraging signs, but by an intensification of the tensions and violence”.
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The Pontiff reviewed in his speech all the stages of his apostolic journeys, and some of the international issues in which the Holy see has been involved this year. But the chapter on the recent crisis between Iran and the U.S., emerged in the wake of the murder in Baghdad by the u.s. armed forces, the general Qasem Soleimani, had a prominent mention. “Are worrisome signals that arrive from throughout the region, after increased tension between Iran and the united States, which threaten to put at risk first of all, the slow process of the reconstruction of Iraq, as well as create the foundations for a conflict on a larger scale that we all wish we could avoid. Therefore, I renew my appeal to all stakeholders to avoid the increase of the confrontation and to keep alive the flame of dialogue and self-control, in full respect of the international legality”.
The relevance of international affairs that is the Vatican, the possessor of a vast diplomatic network, and to be faithful in almost all countries of the world, sometimes it is expressed more through the silence than by the nature of his words. As well as the Pope cited other countries where the Holy see has a role very moderate, he did not deserve even a single word the process of thawing of diplomatic relations with China, or the gradual fusion of the two catholic churches that govern in the asian country (the official and the clandestine). The project is developed under absolute secrecy, but according to what the Holy see hinted in a statement last June calling for more cooperation to China, and denouncing pressures threatening their faithful, are not working as well as it could be expected.
Francis, on the other hand, is referred to, and was very concerned about the proliferation of recent political problems in countries of Latin america. He did so with a special reference to Venezuela “to continue to present the commitment to the search for solutions”. A conflict in which the Holy see has been directly involved, exerting a failed role of mediator, and whose Church demand always more clarity to the Vatican. In addition, the Pope said that, even when these conflicts -in Latin america – have roots different, have in common deep inequalities, injustices and endemic corruption.
The Pope, he also made an appeal to the political leaders of these countries to “work to re-establish with urgency a culture of dialogue” and to strengthen “democratic institutions and promote respect for the rule of law, in order to prevent deviations anti-democratic, populist and extremist”.
