In Vatican diplomacy, balancing the prophetic witness of the faith, the internal relationships of the local Church, and the realities of statecraft is a challenge.
Vatican diplomats often have to walk a fine line in what they say publicly, none more so than the Secretariat of States foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, who has led the departments diplomatic section since 2014.
For much of the last eight years, Archbishop Gallagher has appeared to be a model of diplomatic restraint, limiting his public statements and choosing his words carefully. He has also been, at times, a dogged defender of Vatican diplomatic efforts, pushing back on public criticism on controversial issues like the Vatican-China deal, and stressing the Holy Sees reliance on private discussions, away from the public eye.
Yet, in recent days, Gallagher has appeared to strike a more frank tone, offering measured but pointed criticism on some of the most contentious topics in the Churchs internal and external relations. But what prompted this change in tone from the Vaticans chief diplomat, and what might it signal about the Holy Sees internal thinking?
Share
In an interview with the official outlet of the German bishops conference published on Wednesday, the normally circumspect Gallagher discussed the Vaticans relationship both with the German government and the German bishops conference.
The archbishop seemed clear that the Holy See enjoyed a far easier and more positive relationship with the civil government, led by a Catholic who publicly renounced the faith, than it did with the local bishops.
We are very concerned right now about the direction that the Church in Germany seems to be taking at the moment, Gallagher said. Of course, this also has an impact on our work. This has an impact on how the German state sees the Holy See and the Catholic Church - and vice versa.
The archbishop went on to suggest archly that the German Church should ask itself some tough questions about its considerable wealth, stemming from billions in state-collected tax revenues, and its effect on the local bishops.
The remarks were striking, even in the context of recent Vatican interventions against the German synodal process.
Gallaghers pointed comments about the influence of money on the German bishops were even more striking, given he went on to point out it wasnt an issue that related to the secretariats work. In June last year, the archbishop drew scrutiny for saying that the Holy Sees diplomatic department didnt talk about issues it didnt think it could affect by doing so even to the point of remaining silent on the human rights crisis in China and Hong Kong.
But on China, too, Gallagher has taken a suddenly more robust public stance.
Speaking about the controversial Vatican-Beijing deal, which the pope recently said he expects to see renewed in October, Gallagher candidly admitted in an interview last week that the balance sheet, I suppose, is not terribly impressive.
Despite his stance last year that Vatican diplomats didnt talk about human rights and Hong Kong, Gallagher also weighed in on the arrest of Cardinal Joseph Zen earlier this year, telling America magazine that the Vatican wanted to see Zens case resolved satisfactorily in the near future, and acknowledged Hong Kong Bishop Stephen Chows statements on civil liberties in the special administrative region.
The Holy See is committed to the defense of religious freedom, Gallagher affirmed, including in Hong Kong.
While these statements are hardly provocative in themselves, they all represent a noticeable sharpening of tone by the Vatican foreign minister and a real, if subtle, shift in the way he addresses the most sensitive issues facing the Vatican right now.
And they are not the only sensitive topics Gallagher has addressed with sudden candor.
For months, the Vatican, and Pope Francis personally, have beaten back against furious media speculation about his health and longevity, and insisting, pain in his knee notwithstanding, that the pope is otherwise in rude health and set to continue in office indefinitely.
But, speaking to the German bishops official outlet about the popes future plans, Gallagher noted that other proposed trips presented a great challenge, also for the health of the Holy Father.
Of course, the time he has left is limited, Gallagher observed when asked about the prospects of Francis visiting European countries like France or Germany.
The pope is, of course, 85 years old, and acknowledging that there are fewer days ahead than behind in his pontificate is just stating the obvious. Nevertheless, its an obvious truth the Vatican has been at pains to deflect from aknowledging in public.
Even if the shift is subtle, the Holy Sees senior diplomat suddenly becoming casually frank about Germany, China, and the limited time left to Pope Francis marks a real change. But what is driving it?
One possibility is that it is a calculated change in tone from the Secretariat of State itself.
Gallaghers interview with the German bishops own news service comes hot on the heels of an unsigned statement from Rome about their synodal way, interpreted by some German Catholics as the Vatican pulling the emergency brake.
Similarly, while Pope Francis has remained bullish on reviewing the controversial Vatican-China deal, the Secretariat of State has quietly filled its vacant senior posts in Taiwan and Hong Kong in recent weeks, suggesting it has drawn a line under the idea of more formal diplomatic links to Beijing for the time being.
It could be that Archbishop Gallagher is deliberately tipping the Vaticans hand on German and China as a show of resolve, perhaps in an effort to forestall any further moves by the German bishops to upend their ecclesial structures or by the Chinese to tighten their grip on the Church in Hong Kong.
Together with a sudden frankness about Pope Francis longevity, it might even be meant to signal the institutional commitments of the Vatican, beyond the current pontificate.
It is equally possible that Gallagher is freelancing with his change of tone, perhaps in the expectation he is soon to change jobs. While Vatican officials normally work to five year appointment terms, many of the senior roles below prefect turn over on a different schedule.
The 68 year-old Englishman is approaching eight years in post, the same amount of time served by his predecessor, Dominique Mamberti, whom Pope Francis made a cardinal in 2014 and appointed to lead the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura. When Cardinal Angelo Becciu was made a cardinal by the pope and appointed to lead the then-Congregation for the Causes of Saints, he had served seven years as sostituto at the Secretariat of State, a term he has said was already longer than usual for the role.
At the end of August, Pope Francis is set to convene a consistory in Rome to formally elevate the most recent slate of newly named cardinals and discuss the principles of his new apostolic constitution for the Roman curia, Praedicate Evangelium.
There is widespread expectation in the Vatican that shortly afterwards, in the first weeks of September, Francis will announce a reshuffle in the leadership of several departments, including the dicasteries for bishops, Catholic education, and for Eastern Churches.
With new appointments expected, and new vacancies arising as a result, it is possible Gallagher expects to be moved from his current role and his recent interventions are signs of a kind of end-of-term relaxation on his part.
Whether calculated or casual, what is certain is that Archbishop Gallaghers change in tone isnt meaningless. And what he talks about in the coming weeks, and how he talks about it, should make for interesting reading.
Donate Subscriptions
See the rest here:
What's behind the Vatican chief diplomat's change of tune? - The Pillar
- How dogs are paving the way for human longevity drugs - Longevity.Technology - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- Innovative Approaches to Improving Human Longevity - Securities.io - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- Top 5 Companies Offering Solutions to Increased Human Longevity - Securities.io - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- Morning Medical Update: Gut bacteria and longevity; People with ... - Medical Economics - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Artificial Intelligence and the Aging Process: A Match Made for ... - Down to Game - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Saint Bernard Lifespan: How Long Do Saint Bernards Live? - AZ Animals - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- 'Human Resources' Was Poised to Be Netflix's Longest-Running ... - PRIMETIMER - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Early Life Adversity Doesn't Affect Gorillas Like Other Species - The Good Men Project - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Wellness luminaries, experts to meet in KK - The Borneo Post - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- I grew up with hazardous smoke from forest fires in Asia. Here's what ... - Morningstar - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Workplace Networks Are More Important than Promotions to Engage ... - GlobeNewswire - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Accenture staff working at Google training AI move to unionise - The Australian Financial Review - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Hair Wigs and Extension Market Size to Grow by USD 5.26 billion from 2021 to 2026, Growth Driven by Technologi - Black Enterprise - April 10th, 2023 [April 10th, 2023]
- Want to age like a fine wine? Here are some tips for longevity and feeling younger - The Indian Express - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- Human body | Organs, Systems, Structure, Diagram, & Facts - January 27th, 2023 [January 27th, 2023]
- Human | Avatar Wiki | Fandom - January 27th, 2023 [January 27th, 2023]
- Calorie Restriction and Fasting Diets: What Do We Know? - January 4th, 2023 [January 4th, 2023]
- Emma Thompson On Longevity Of Holiday Fave Love Actually But It Is SEX Actually That Is Earning Her Awards Buzz In Leo Grande - Deadline - December 26th, 2022 [December 26th, 2022]
- Heads or tails: What statistical models tell us about the probability of living beyond 110 - The Conversation - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- LinkedIn founder and VC Reid Hoffman says human amplification via A.I. will revolutionize large enterprises in the next five years - Fortune - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Human hibernation is possible and could boost longevity | New Scientist - December 2nd, 2022 [December 2nd, 2022]
- Home - Human Longevity Institute - October 23rd, 2022 [October 23rd, 2022]
- Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity - Mayo Clinic - October 23rd, 2022 [October 23rd, 2022]
- Life expectancy - Wikipedia - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Life Expectancy - Our World in Data - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- The Longevity Investors Conference Gstaad brought together longevity experts and deep-pocketed investors - Cointelegraph - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- The Search for a Pill That Can Help Dogsand HumansLive Longer - WIRED - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Aging of the Heart Correlates With a Poor Gut Microbiome - Lifespan.io News - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Aditxt, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADTX) Announces Development and Publication of a Mathematical Model for Predicting Longevity and Variations of Immune Response... - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- FOXO Technologies Announces First Distribution Partner and Begins Product Rollout in California; Expands Executive Team With Insurance Industry Talent... - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- A conversation with Holocaust scholar Dr. Irving Berkowitz - South Florida Sun Sentinel - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Nine postdoctoral fellowships in aging research awarded by the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research and AFAR - EurekAlert - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- The 5 Wellness Habits That Slow Down Aging, Science Reveals Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Winning Federal Contracts on the Top 20 Contract Vehicles - Bloomberg Government - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Lawrence Austin promoted to rank of colonel - Winona Times - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- The longevity dividend: Work in an era of 100-year lives - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Retirement Savings Calculator - Northwestern Mutual - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Clues to Human Longevity Unearthed in Largescale Mouse Genetic Study - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Can we find ways to live beyond 100? Millionaires are betting on it. - MIT Technology Review - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Restrict Calories to Boost Immune Function - The Epoch Times - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- The Black Progress Index: Examining the social factors that influence Black well-being - Brookings Institution - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Kevin Williamson on Scream 6 and Franchise Longevity - Bleeding Cool News - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- 507-Year-Old Clam May Be the World's Oldest Living Being - History of Yesterday - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- I should look forward to early retirement, but I think I'm dreading it - CBC.ca - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- International Coffee Day 2022: How The Beloved Brew Helps Fight Cancer, Kidney Disease And Depression - ABP Live - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Corey Feldman And Jamison Newlander Talk The Lost Boys And The Birth Of The Two Coreys - Forbes - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Proven Levels of Human Longevity | NextBigFuture.com - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Prolonging healthspan by delaying ageing -- NUHS opens Singapore's first Centre for Healthy Longevity to increase healthy lifespan of Singapore... - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- What is the Secret to Longevity in Real Estate? - CandysDirt.com - Candy's Dirt - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Jeff Stukey & Jay Olshansky, Ph.D with Wealthspan Advisors, Interviewed on the Influential Entrepreneurs Podcast Discussing How Aging Science... - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- The Queen of the World - The Atlantic - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- THR Icon: At 100, Norman Lear Looks Back (And Ahead) at Whats Changed Since the Maude Abortion Episode - Hollywood Reporter - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- TIFF 2022: The Colour of Ink Review - ThatShelf.com - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Should Age Be on the Ballot? - Next Avenue - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Was The Spring Water At Balmoral Castle The Secret To Elizabeth II's Longevity? - Nation World News - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- A complete guide to the health benefits of nuts europeantimes.news - The European Times - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Debut Launches its Bio2Consumer Platform to Become the Leader in Vertically Integrated Synthetic Biology - PR Web - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Rapamycin Drug Used in Cancer Therapy Found to Increase Human Lifespan [Study] - Nature World News - August 30th, 2022 [August 30th, 2022]
- Eating Healthy: Why Eating Grapes Would Increase Lifespan | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News Guardian Life The Guardian Nigeria... - August 30th, 2022 [August 30th, 2022]
- Beauty Bets on Longevity WWD - WWD - August 30th, 2022 [August 30th, 2022]
- Analysis of the impact of success on three dimensions of sustainability in 173 countries | Scientific Reports - Nature.com - August 30th, 2022 [August 30th, 2022]
- You might have glowing skin in no time by making few easy changes to your skincare routine - TDPel Media - August 30th, 2022 [August 30th, 2022]
- Nucleai Appoints New Head of Pathology to Support Expansion in Biopharmaceutical and Clinical Markets - Business Wire - August 8th, 2022 [August 8th, 2022]
- Daily AI Roundup: Biggest Machine Learning, Robotic And Automation Updates - AiThority - August 8th, 2022 [August 8th, 2022]
- Prolonged and intense heatwave affecting parts of western and northern Europe breaks temperature records; globally, July 2022 was one of three warmest... - August 8th, 2022 [August 8th, 2022]
- YLEM: Augmenting sustainable futures through material exploration and testing - STIRworld - August 8th, 2022 [August 8th, 2022]
- Do you want to live forever? Big Tech and the quest for eternal youth - The New Statesman - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- This startup wants to copy you into an embryo for organ harvesting - MIT Technology Review - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Renewal Bio Acquires Breakthrough Stem Cell Technology With Applications in Infertility and Longevity - Benzinga - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Get married or get a degree to live longer says study, debunking theories of womens longevity over men - Times Now - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Nucleai Appoints New Head of Pathology to Support Expansion in Biopharmaceutical and Clinical Markets - StreetInsider.com - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Some species are immortal but dying of old age is humanity's secret weapon - The Telegraph - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Opinion: Changing When and How Much We Eat May Extend Health Span - The Scientist - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Vieroots uses genome testing to win over a growing tribe of wellness enthusiasts - YourStory - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Herbs radiate and give you youthful skin - The Hans India - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- How Pop Culture, Politics, Science, and Business Got So Old - The Atlantic - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- John Hood: How to read this column | Columnists | journalnow.com - Winston-Salem Journal - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- How Long Is The Human Lifespan? Here's What Studies Have Found | mindbodygreen - mindbodygreen - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- Employees are livingand workinglonger. CEOs are introducing initiatives like phased retirements to harness the longevity economy - Fortune - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- Why Do We Get Old, and Can Aging Be Reversed? - Quanta Magazine - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]