Search

From its foundation in 1622, the Congregation de Propaganda Fide held supreme jurisdiction over all missionary activities of the Catholic Church at the global level, with authority coming directly from the pope. Its main goals were the expansion of the Catholic faith, the reaffirmation of papal spiritual primacy, and the promotion of Indigenous clergy throughout the world, which put Propaganda Fide in direct competition with secular rulers who also wanted to control missionary activities in their overseas territories. This article will examine one such conflict, namely that regarding Portugal and its royal patronage system in China. The Historical Archive of Propaganda Fide in the Vatican City holds extensive material concerning Portuguese patronage and China, which has remained relatively unknown and understudied. Through an examination of several of the most significant documents, such as the formal terms sent by the Portuguese court to the Holy See, the response of Propaganda Fide, and the final declaration of the Holy See, which would become the cornerstone for all future decisions over the patronage system, it is suggested that these negotiations about China are in fact central to a wider shift in global Catholic policy and politics in the field of missionary activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1622, a counter-reformist concept of the mission led to the foundation of Propaganda Fide, a congregation to which the Supreme Pontiffs entrusted various tasks at the global level, including the reassertion of the pope's authority over missionary activities, which had previously been dominated by European secular powers using the patronage system. In carrying out its mandate, the new Congregation also charged apostolic nuncios, almost entirely Italian, with collecting information from and establishing direct contacts with the states of Catholic Christianity and of missionary territories beyond. These nuncios not only performed activities of a religious nature but also served as diplomats and representatives of the pope, endowed with particular powers and faculties. This article introduces the role of apostolic nuncios and analyzes the results of the first of these sent by the Propaganda Fide to China, Charles Thomas Maillard de Tournon. It will show that, as the first papal legate to China, he was not entirely successful in his objectives, but his mission can be seen as a turning point in the history of relations between the Holy See and China and as an important episode which helps us to understand not only early Sino–papal relations but also the development of the new global vision of the Catholic Church as it was formulated by the Propaganda Fide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of war, not only state actors, but also religious actors react and engage in international politics. When studying religious narratives of war, what is not said can be more revealing than what is said. Such is the case when analyzing the Roman Catholic Church's narrative since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A striking pattern of silence emerges which arguably has serious implications for upholding international law. Both in an international political (Holy See at the United Nations) as well as a transnational religious context (Pope Francis I addressing followers) the Roman Catholic Church has remained silent on Russia's aggression and breach of international law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the establishment of the Czechoslovak Church (in January 1920), which introduced using the vernacular language in the liturgy, the Czech and Moravian bishops requested permission to extend the use of the vernacular language in the liturgy and, following the Cyril and Methodius tradition, to allow the celebration of the Old Slavonic liturgy. The Holy See allowed some extension of the use of the vernacular language in the liturgy and the celebration of the Old Slavonic liturgy in selected places on selected days (approved in May 1920). This was done especially for apologetic reasons, to prevent a greater exodus of the faithful to the Czechoslovak Church. This permission was also meant to be an example of the Holy See's friendliness towards Czechoslovakia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this article is to analyze the projects to reorganize the ecclesiastical province of Cuiabá, focusing on the proposal to extinguish the diocese of Corumbá, of 1910, and the fusion of the territories of the dioceses of Corumbá and Cáceres, discussed between the years 1925 and 1927. In this context, the Holy See intended to expand the number of ecclesiastical circumscriptions, but the two proposals went against this process. For the development of this research, I employ the perspectives of Global History and New Political History, which have contributed to a deeper understanding of ecclesiastical practices, political representations, and sociocultural aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legal relations between the Holy See and the United Nations are examined from both from a formal point of view, linked to the permanent observer State status it has had since 1964, and from a substantive point of view, intended to highlight some of the salient contents imprinted by the Holy See on its presence in the Organization. The spiritual mission and the desire to remain extraneous to competitions between States have marked the Holy See's participation in the multilateral dialogue, giving it a unique scope and meaning, in the sign of respect for the human being and his dignity in all circumstances - a direction that pertains also to the normative evolution of the international order. Salient aspects of the Holy See's contribution to the UN are the reminders of the value and necessity of the Organization, as the principal forum for multilateral cooperation; of the value and necessity of respecting in good faith international legality, summarized in the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, as the condition of coexistence; of the value and necessity of remembering that the ultimate goal of every political entity is the protection of the human person, as an individual and in the social groups where her existence develops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper traces the Holy See's complex legal relations with the EU, ranging from dialogue with European institutions to the creation, by international agreement, of a 'common' law in monetary and financial matters, which is very dense, technical, and varied. At the end of the reading, it will be realised that the Church is neither distant, nor far from the process of European integration. It rather intends to support the latter, recalling the spiritual values of peace and respect for human rights upon which the Church is founded: in short, the Christian roots of the EU's edifice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Episodes of demonic or spirit possession, where individuals perceive their bodies and minds as being controlled by supernatural entities, have been the subject of extensive research across various disciplines. Despite this, the extent to which existing scientific explanations can account for these phenomena is still uncertain, especially in terms of the aspects that remain unexplained. This official review aims to clarify the current scientific understanding of the origins, mechanisms, and causes of these seemingly extraordinary experiences. Our analysis includes 52 documented cases of possession, reviewed from literature published between 1890 and 2023 and incorporating insights from psychology, medicine, anthropology, and theology. We examine common symptom patterns, delve into the research conducted, and evaluate how many cases are still unexplained within the existing behavioral science framework. Quantitative models indicate a 0.01923 probability of a possession case being scientifically unexplained. The likelihood of discovering new, truly unexplained cases of demonic possession in the future is estimated at 0.0031, with a 0.0023 probability of encountering five such cases in a single year. Moreover, we assess the medical and psychological interventions employed in these cases and propose practical guidelines for the safe use of exorcisms and specific pharmacological treatments. This study advocates for the integration of therapeutic interventions, combined with the expertise of anthropologists for culturally sensitive actions and Catholic Church priests for spiritual guidance, including exorcisms where appropriate as determined by ecclesiastical authorities. Our conclusion suggests that integrative approaches provide the most comprehensive clinical support in such cases and underscore how possession episodes challenge our scientific understanding of consciousness and its boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the Holy See as a political actor amid hard power conflict. While many debate the legal and religious personalities of the Holy See, few engage with an approach that illustrates the Holy See and its citizen-like laity in light of its combinative religious–political dynamic. This paper argues that resulting from this dynamic, the Holy See's sui generis statehood enables the comprehension of a similar sui generis citizenry. These citizens, which this paper labels pseudo-citizens, are the result of connections between the recognized sovereignty of the Holy See and its role over the Roman Catholic Church. This paper examines this connection contextually amid the Holy See's interaction with the underlying international moral framework on just conflict and the protective motivating factors associated with its pseudo-citizens. This motivation is consistent with historical Holy See positions, and is significant for understanding the Holy See's approach amid future hard power events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is a preliminary analysis, from a socio-professional perspective, of the first set of quantitative data on the generations of Romanian students who studied at the pontifical universities in Rome between 1853 and 1948. Without research that could piece together the general picture of all the students educated in Rome during the discussed period, this study identifies the generations of students trained over a century, their formative patterns, their contacts and particularities, and the professional paths followed by the graduates. It outlines the socio-cultural climate in which the three generations of students were educated and its impact on their theological and intellectual profile. A special part of this study is dedicated to identifying and analyzing the factors that contributed to the selection of the students and their career paths, focusing particularly on the impact of social origin, education, kinship relations, as well as on political factors. Last but not least, it also considers the dynamics of the emblematic figures of each generation, the university dropout phenomenon, and the reasons behind career changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research overviews of and historiography on the attitude of the Catholic Church and theologians towards athletes with intellectual and physical disabilities assume that the Church and theologians have only very recently begun to interest themselves in this subject. Starting from John Paul II's contribution to this field, and above all from his integral anthropological vision, this article assesses his position by comparing it with that of his two successors Benedict XVI and Francis. Especially the latter's addresses and interviews and the official documents on sport issued by the Holy See during his pontificate are testimony to his special commitment to athletes with disabilities. The article also examines the history of the Holy See and studies its attention to athletes with a disability. The results of this inquiry are that papal interest in this field is not limited to, nor did it start with the pontificate of John Paul II. Instead, it dates from the very beginning of the modern phenomenon of sport, with Pope Pius X at the beginning of the 20th century, continued by Pius XII and John XXIII. The latter's speech to the participants of the first Paralympic Games in 1960 is the strongest indication of a pre-John Paul II affirmation of disabled sport. This points to the importance of taking a more nuanced position in the current debate, although it is clear that Pope Francis must be considered the champion of the Holy See's commitment to the inclusion of athletes with a disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Order of Cistercians was one of the most powerful tools employed by the Apostolic See in order to impose its hierocratic vision as well as its disciplinary regime and to forge the institutional, religious coherence of Christianitas during the 12th and 13th centuries. The main objective of this paper is to bring forward a problematization concerning the Cistercians acting as a means of evangelization in the service of Ecclesia Romana in relation to Christians of the Eastern rite. In order to evaluate this hypothesis, the present article emphasises the perception of the Holy See in regard to the elements external to Latin Christianity, the nature of Cistercian obedience to the Bishop of Rome, and discusses the presence of the White Monks in mediaeval Poland, Banat and Transylvania – border regions of Christianitas where the resurgence of previous beliefs or contacts with the population of the Eastern Christianity matrix were frequent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study deals with the establishment and development of diplomatic relations between Czechoslovakia and the Holy See immediately after the creation of Czechoslovakia in the fall of 1918 which underwent a dramatic and turbulent change. The most acute questions to discuss included the filling of Czech and Slovak bishopric thrones, the Church administration in Slovakia and the matters of Church education while the filling of the bishopric thrones in the Czech lands and Slovakia proved to be of crucial importance for the proper functioning of the Church administration in Czechoslovakia. The study is based on source material, mainly of diplomatic nature, from the Archive of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Prague and the Vatican archives, the study reconstructs the character, form and transformation of diplomatic relations between the young Republic and the headquarters of the Catholic Church in Rome at the turn of the 1910s and 1920s. Extensive archival funds have been confronted with numerous literature sources, including contemporary history texts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the occasion of the first centenary of the death of Antonín Cyril Stojan, Archbishop of Olomouc from 1921 to 1923, the article provides an original interpretation of some relevant aspects of his spiritual legacy. In analysing a number of documents kept in the Vatican Apostolic Archives (Archivio Apostolico Vaticano) and in the Archive of the Congregation for Oriental Churches (Archivio della Congregazione per le Chiese Orientali), the author outlines the peculiarity of Stojan’s contribution to the quest for unity among Christians. The organization of the seven Union Congresses of Velehrad, held from 1907 up to 1936, based on Stojan’s intuition, took place in a very difficult political and social context, including the First World War. Stojan showed how hope for a future good is not only linked to the present external conditions: it can be concretely cultivated in the forms granted by the age in which one lives. For this reason, even after his death, during the pontificate of Pius XI, the cycles of Congresses and moments of prayer and study of the Eastern Churches of the Byzantine liturgical tradition that Stojan had begun, continued. Regarding this original way of approaching interconfessional relations, some significant documents kept in the aforementioned Archives can shed light on two relevant dimensions of these cycles of Congresses, which remain faithful to the Catholic Church and rejecting proselytism as a means of spreading Catholicism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Council of Lateran IV (1215) was a landmark in the history of European law, when it required ecclesiastical courts to entrust the jurisdiction of the diocese to a person learned in canon law, among other things. This provision was the corollary of the rule that medieval canon law judges were, as a rule, persons who were well versed in the law and who had typically acquired their knowledge at universities. The situation was somewhat different in Hungary, where there was no university in the Middle Ages, but the extensive jurisdiction of the Holy See meant that the institutions of domestic law had to be applied, and the use of lawyers who knew Hungarian law was therefore indispensable. An important feature of medieval ecclesiastical jurisprudence was that, because of the high level of canon law knowledge required, judges were happy and often called upon the assistance of learned canon lawyers (iurisperiti) in complex cases. These lawyers, with their outstanding knowledge, were typically specialists in Roman canon law (ius novum) in the western countries of Europe, but in Hungary they were more likely to be specialists in the customary law of the nobility. Both groups of persons included the most qualified jurists of their time, and the institutional background for the acquisition of knowledge was provided by the universities. It was in these universities that learned law was taught, and not only substantive law but also a new model of procedural law (inquisitio) was created, based on the late Roman investigative trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Istoria della spedizione del Cardinale Carlo Tommaso Maillard de' Tournon is a collection of manuscripts produced for and circulated within the Roman Curia in the early 18th century. It contains letters and reports from Maillard de Tournon, the first papal legate to China, and records his mission and the early efforts of the Holy See to establish direct contact with the Qing court, bypassing the patronage system and locally entrenched religious orders (the Jesuits in particular). For various reasons, these manuscripts were never fully published and, in spite of their interest, remain relatively unknown to scholars. This article introduces these manuscripts, edited by Giovanni Giacomo Fatinelli, procurator of Maillard de Tournon in Rome, and demonstrates their value in allowing a greater understanding of the relationship between the Holy See and China, as well as the general relationship between the Holy See and Catholic missionaries throughout the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU has differentiated legal relationships with its nearest geographical neighbours. Arguably, none is more unique than that of the EU with the Vatican City State (VCS) (and by extension, the Holy See). Between the parties is a mere 'monetary agreement' that facilitates the official use of the single currency in the territory. It is the only bilateral legal commitment that the parties have undertaken. Yet, this apparent simplicity masks a deeper reality. In fact, the monetary agreement currently in place, which replaced a prior monetary agreement, has now de facto put in an institutional framework on the legal relations of the EU with the Vatican City State and Holy See, with a Joint Committee to govern monetary arrangements, and an obligation to implement, in its own way, many aspects of EU financial regulation. The monetary agreement also provides for jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union to settle disputes arising therefrom. This article contextualizes and analyses the legal relations of the EU with the Vatican City State and Holy See, and argues that more embedded legal relations in the future will be inevitable, leading beyond a mere monetary agreement, but one leading to the adopting of a more sophisticated international agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay analyzes Pope Francis' social teaching on relationality within his 2020 encyclical letter Fratelli tutti [Brothers all]. The relationship between the Church and modern nation-states is an important macro-level social dynamic, and Francis explains it by placing Church–State relations into a broader spiritual context of human communication and interaction. He articulates norms of fraternal contact growing from the bottom-up, that is, from interpersonal encounters through groups and movements on to countries and the United Nations. After a focused research question and discussion of critical method, this article offers a rhetorical critique of Fratelli tutti. To provide context, it explains the genres of Judeo-Christian and papal communication, Francis' biography, and the immediate global context of his encyclical. Working within the text, this study details the Biblical foundations of his argument for "fraternity and social friendship" and shows how they are applied to global social media dystopia and accelerating migration/border crises. Conclusions include the utility of Francis' contact terms in analyzing complex religio-political dynamics and their value in advancing peace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the Holy See has been accused of violating its human rights obligations because of acts of sex abuse by the Catholic clergy. Such accusations are based, in various ways, on the authority of the Holy See over the clergy. The Holy See is often referred to as a state and its obligations as state obligations. UN treaty bodies understand that the human rights obligations of the Holy See, as a treaty party, are of a legal––not moral––nature and apply extraterritorially, i.e., beyond the territory of the Vatican City State. The notion of state jurisdiction is, therefore, applied to the Holy See in the same way as to any other state. UN treaty bodies implicitly conclude that, for the purpose of human rights responsibility, the crimes of the clergy must be attributed to the Holy See and that anyone under the religious authority of the Holy See is under its state jurisdiction. However, a closer examination of the nature of the Holy See and its authority under international law, church doctrine, and church law paints a more complex and nuanced picture, where it is hard to describe the clergy as state organs or religious authority as state jurisdiction. Still, there are reasons to understand that certain acts and omissions of the Holy See in the context of the sex abuse crisis can be characterized as violations of its positive obligations of conduct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on his analysis of local newspapers and archive sources yet unexplored, the author sheds a light onto the facts about church life in the city of Rijeka during Gabriele D’Annunzio occupation (1919-1920). The blessing of the dagger in St. Vitus church, when the dagger was donated to D’Annunzio (“commandant”) provoked a withdrawal by Holy See of the chaplain who conducted the rite. Nationalistic circles wrongly identified as a culprit the Croatian parish priest, to whom they closed the church. He could not therefore celebrate mass for almost two months. That means that during the D’Annunzio occupation there was no religious freedom, contrary to the assertions of those who see the affirmation of ideals of liberty in the occupation of Rijeka. In fact, the elaboration of a political liturgy, which put nationalism in the centre, had a negative impact on the multi-ethnic Church in Rijeka. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Holy See has formal diplomatic relations with almost all states of the world and with international organizations including the United Nations (UN), where it holds Permanent Observer status. Its diplomacy considers the UN as one of the most important agents in international affairs. In the article, we clarify the Holy See's role as a Permanent Observer and its views on international cooperation before the Second Vatican Council. We then shed light on the leading principles and aims of its diplomacy at the UN as verbalized through the papal addresses to the General Assembly, letters to UN secretaries general, and various messages. Finally, we describe the Holy See's position in the long-lasting debate over UN reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the policies and strategies of the Holy See to create new ecclesiastical circumscriptions during the administration of the apostolic nuncio Alessandro Bavona, who served between 1907 and 1911. I will focus on the relations between the Holy See, which formulated projects to reform, strengthen and expand the Catholic Church and the Brazilian episcopate, which often resisted, placed obstacles and delayed the advance of these policies. The sources were obtained from the Vatican Apostolic Archives and the Historical Archive of the Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs. The creation of ecclesiastical jurisdictions served civil and, above all, ecclesiastical interests. It intended to organize the territory and the episcopal management, dividing the more extensive dioceses, with greater or lesser demographic density, with the aim of: making religious assistance effective for the population; disciplining the clergy; combating competing religions; christianizing indigenous peoples. The exceptional institutional expansion that occurred during the Bavona administration favored the expansion of the Catholic Church in society and its religious control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to discuss the presence of the military religious orders at the frontiers of Christianitas during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, a period when the hierocratic auctoritas ecclesiae materialized itself through vigorous expansionism. The military religious orders acted in consensus with the Holy See and at the request of the political European entities (also subjected to the authority of the Pope) in regions where they could not withstand the threats which endangered parts of their kingdoms or possessions. Ultimately this article integrates the presence of the Teutonic Knights in Transylvania during the first half of the thirteenth century in this broad mission of expansionism and highlights how the Roman Pontiff established relationships with the kingdoms positioned at the edge of Christianitas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to eliminate any foreign interference in the internal affairs of Turkey, the Government pushed the Sublime Porte, in 1914, to abolish the regime of Capitulations and the French Protectorate over Catholics and to ask the new apostolic delegate in Constantinople to establish direct diplomatic relations with the Holy See and to sign a concordat. The Ottoman proposal, although taken into consideration for its possible positive effects, aroused in the Secretariat of State an attitude of cautious expectation both because the First World War, whose outcome was still uncertain, was in progress and because they did not want to further lacerate relations and hurt the sensibility not so much of the government as of the French population. The text analyzes the steps taken by the Turkish government, but above all by the Holy See. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article approaches, in a hierocratic perspective, Cardinal Jacob of Preneste's legation to the eastern fringe of Christianitas, more precisely to Transylvania, focusing on aspects such as the reasons behind the cardinal's visit to the Kingdom of Hungary, his right to interfere in the internal affairs of said kingdom, and the extent to which he fulfilled the planned objectives. If we look at the overall picture, the legation of Cardinal Jacob of Preneste fell short of expectations, at least from a hierocratic point of view, as it failed to fully impose the discipline requested by the Holy See. If we tally the erroneous decisions, we could even conclude that in most cases the papal legate, Cardinal Jacob of Preneste, actually acted against the interests of the Roman Curia, whose legate he was. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the Apostolic Nuncios’ interventions in Brazil, the Holy See, and the episcopate in the Amazonian region to create new Catholic ecclesiastical circumscriptions between 1860 and 1930. The great territorial extension, the difficulties in the means of communication, the scarcity of clergy and resources, and the desire to optimize the religious assistance, counteract competing religions, and Christianize the indigenous people, justified the territorial dismemberment. These were political actions implemented as a result of specific interests of the Church and not as a consequence of a tacit alliance with the State. Our research sources were obtained in the Vatican Apostolic Archive and the Sacred Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs. They enabled us to understand the pontifical representatives’ connections and projects and of the Holy See and their relations with the episcopate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout the nineteenth century, Portugal demanded recognition of the so-called 'historical rights of the Royal Patronage' by the Holy See as part of its missionary policy for Africa. These claims promptly led to a prolonged conflict over the action of the Propaganda Fide and Portuguese missionary achievements. While Lisbon feared the denationalization of missionary work, Rome was concerned about Portugal's internal policies on religious matters and its perceived inabilities to deal with the missionary challenges of the time, especially the Protestant competition over African hearts and minds. This text follows the discussions between Portugal and the Holy See over the missionary question, examining their confrontational and, apparently, irreconcilable positions, and the attempts made to regulate the exercise of the Royal Patronage through a concordat that became impossible to reach until the conclusion of a fragile and arguable modus vivendi concluded just before the implantation of the Republican regime in 1910. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper, based on material that has recently become available from the Archives of the Diocese of Dubrovnik, analyzes the role of Vrhbosna Archbishop Josip Stadler and Dubrovnik Bishop Josip Grgur Marčelić in the broader context of the Croatian episcopate’s activities in reorganizing St. Jerome’s institutions in Rome into a modern seminary in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The paper also examines their efforts to preserve intact Croatian rights at the reorganized College of St. Jerome at the time of the so-called „St. Jerome affair of 1901/1902“, when the Principality of Montenegro, aided by the diplomacy of certain European powers, especially the Russian Empire and France, sought with limited success to truncate these rights. The paper draws particular attention to a topic that is largely neglected by historiographical works of the period, namely the matching and even close intertwining of the reorganization of St. Jerome’s institutions with the efforts of the Croatian episcopate to affirm the Old Church Slavonic liturgy. This is confirmed in correspondence between Archbishop Stadler and Bishop Marčelić. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topic discussed in this article - European integrations and the Catholic Church - is content-wise very broad and could be approached in various ways. The author has opted, therefore, for a slightly original approach by starting with a narration of history of the two renowned institutions that managed, despite various inopportune circumstances they faced, to integrate themselves into contemporary European society with which they are in constant dialogue and which they enrich with new ideas. This refers to institutions that are related to the Catholic University Leuven in Belgium, whose activity is inspired by Christianity. In that sense, one could argue that they are a successful example, albeit a one that has to endure many hardships, of what is expected of contemporary states and their integrations, but also of the Catholic Church and its institutions. In the continuation of this article, the history and the present of contemporary European integrations, especially the European Union and its relation towards other countries on the European continent, as well as the specific relation of institutions and individuals towards religion, faith, and the Church, is concisely discussed. The theses that the author defends are backed up by statistical data and indicators. The author also offers an overview of activities of two European Catholic councils of conferences of bishops that are currently active and the relation of the Holy See towards Europe. All of this contributes to building up a common European home that is united in diversity of various countries, regions, languages, nations, and religions. The issue of one's own identity is, thereby, not denied by any means, because it has to be confirmed and testified by everyday life in community with others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking into account an interdisciplinary methodology that stablish the connection between the past situation and the current situation, this paper analyse the relationship between the Holy See and the Spanish State during the Second Republic, the Franco dictatorship and democracy. In this way, we will see advances and setbacks in the separation of church and state, as well as the problems that arise in this relationship today. All this situation is due to a bad process of the democratic memory in Spain during the Transition, which produces constitutional inconsistencies and democratic anomalies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of the International Office of Catholic Education (OIEC) is to represent the Catholic education movement at the international level and help promote exchanges between Catholic schools and their leaders globally. How effective is OIEC in representing the Catholic education movement at the international level and promoting quality education for all, particularly in the context of the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4)? The objective of this essay is to explore this question by contrasting how the network and the strength of Catholic schools may be perceived from the outside, and how difficult in practice it is for OIEC to fully plays its essential, but challenging role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author deals with the origin and development of the conflict between Archbishop Stadler and the Croatian National Community and the mission of Apostolic Delegate Pierre Bastien in reconciling the estranged parties. The paper is in two parts: the first section deals with the origin and development of the conflict, that is, the events from 1908 to the end of 1910, while the second section deals with the mission of Apostolic Delegate Bastien, which - with reference to this matter - lasted from the end of 1910 to the beginning of 1912. The conflict arose over the inclusion or non-inclusion of Catholic principles in the Community statutes. Archbishop Stadler felt that if the Community wanted to care for the well-being of Croat Catholics, it must do so in accordance with the principles of the Catholic faith and make this clear in its statutes. The leadership of the Community considered this unnecessary. The conflict intensified after the annexation of 1908 and the announcement of the organization of political life, that is, the proclamation of elections and the convening of parliament. In this period, Stadler intensified pressure on the leadership of the Community. Fearing that the Community might pursue a policy without cooperating with church structures, he again insisted on the incorporation of Catholic principles in the statutes, also asking the Community to work in cooperation with the clergy. When the Community refused, he tried - but failed - to change its leadership. During these events, the clergy were divided: the diocesan clergy sided with Stadler, while the Franciscan clergy sided with the Community. Concluding that he would not be able to change things in the Community, Stadler set about founding a new political organization - the Croatian Catholic Association. In founding the Association, he forbade the clergy of his diocese, who worked in the parishes, to become members of the Community. The diocesan clergy obeyed, while the Franciscan clergy, although officially exiting the Community, continued to work for it. Mutual recriminations, which at times went beyond the boundaries of decency and ecclesiastical propriety, became public. As the issue manifestly became a Church problem, both sides requested the intervention of the Holy See, which decided to send Benedictine P. Bastien, as Apostolic Delegate, with the mission of reconciling the two parties. The Apostolic Delegate carried out this mission from late 1910 until early 1912. At the end of March 1911, after a three-month stay in Bosnia, he sent the Holy See his first report on the division among Catholics in BiH. Bastien's report diverges substantially from the facts that had led to the conflict. He identified Archbishop Stadler as the main culprit in the dispute, though he attributed some responsibility to both the Community and the Franciscans. Bastien tried to resolve the conflict by mediating a reconciliation effort and finding a solution with the hierarchy. This approach did not bear fruit. The views of Archbishop Stadler and Bishop Markovic, who supported the Community, remained unchanged. After failing with the hierarchy, he turned to the leaders of the Community and the Association. Both sides were inclined to come together. The main obstacle was securing the revocation of Stadler's ban on clergy joining the Community. Representatives of the Association suggested that the ban be rescinded after the proposed merger took place, while Community representatives demanded that the ban be rescinded as a condition for negotiations. Bastien supported the position of the Community. At the same time as Bastien's negotiations with the representatives of the Community and the Association, the Party of Rights from Zagreb was involved in mediating reconciliation. Bastien was asked not to participate in these negotiations. Although he did not participate, he continued to insist that Stadler rescind the ban. Stadler skillfully sidestepped this until reunification in January 1912, after which he rescinded the ban. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The workings within the Holy See has one of the oldest diplomatic institutions. Unlike other states with their national interests the diplomatic role of the Holy See within the international community is based on the moral authority of the Pope in favour of the wellbeing of people. Malaysia is the 179th state to have diplomatic relations with the Holy See. The relations are rather unique because no economy and consular divisions are involved. In fact, the core of the relations is based on the mutual interest of promoting justice, peace and tolerance. Although the diplomatic relations were established in 2011, this article demonstrates that there were already cordial engagements between the Popes and local leaders. This article explores the relations between Malaysia and the Holy See and analyses the reasons for Malaysia to establish relations with the Holy See and the bilateral activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reviews the contents of agreements between the Holy See and Latin American Countries from the Second Vatican Council until today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an analysis of the main episodes that structured the formation of a conflict between Portugal and the Holy See on the missionary work during the years after the Restoration. This scenario is closely related to the strengthening of the Sacred Congregation de Propaganda Fide, founded in 1622 to coordinate the pontifical policy for the expansion of Christianity. The actions of the Jesuit Nuno da Cunha, D. João IV’s envoy to deal with the Holy See, were crucial to define the basis of the Portuguese response to this new context. The 1640s and 1650s were decisive for this debate and its events already contained, although in an embryonic way, the genesis of the arguments and practices that underpinned the policy of evangelization promoted by the Holy See, as well as the strategies and reasons used by the Portuguese Crown to defend its Royal Patronage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the beginning of the twentieth century, some Palestinian and Lebanese Salesians, influenced by the Arab Renaissance movement, began to claim the right to oppose the 'directorships' of the institutes of the Don Bosco Society in Bethlehem and the surrounding area. They also began to request better recognition of their native language, in schools and within the religious community. They clashed with their superiors who, in the meantime, had signed an agreement with the Salesian government in Rome, committing them to developing the Italian language in their teaching institutes. The struggle became particularly fierce after the Holy See rebuked the Palestinian religious congregations for teaching the catechism and explaining the Sunday Gospel to people in a foreign language and urged them to do so in Arabic. The clash caused a serious disturbance within the Salesian community. Finally, after the First World War, the most turbulent Arab religious were removed from the Society of Don Bosco. All converged in the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, where they continued forcefully (but in vain) to put forward their national demands. This article is based on several unpublished sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the beginning of the French mandate in Syria and Lebanon, the Holy See develops new aims and means of action. We have studied them through the letters written to Rome by Mons. Frediano Giannini, vicar apostolic of Aleppo and apostolic delegate in Syria from 1905 to 1936. Giannini's reports provide a good example of the way missionaries produce knowledge about Eastern Christian communities. He tells about the trials and migrations endured by them, thus taking part in the development of a new perception of Christian communities as persecuted minorities. Giannini turns to French authorities in order to defend Christians' interests (both Catholics' and Orthodox'). His position is ambiguous : he feels nostalgic about the traditional French protectorate, and in the same time involves himself in political matters, taking on part of the French former role. This ambivalence reveals the rise of a new pontifical policy, based on increasing autonomy and centralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of published archival material and literature, the authors analyse the politicial situation and diplomatic activities in Europe that led to the international recognition of Croatia in 1992. Particular attention is paid to the role played by the Holy See and Pope John Paul II in the process of international recognition of Croatia. The role of Pope John Paul II during the period of the Cold War, as well as overcoming the totalitarian and antireligious ideologies is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unconventional nature of Holy See diplomats rests in the composite character of their ecclesiastical role as the Pope’s representatives and their legal diplomatic status and commencement to ordinary diplomatic practice. Holy See diplomacy is a form of conduct created by a set of mixed secular and religious standards in which agents are guided by practices. I locate this argument within a classical English School and a conventional understanding of practice, diplomacy, and agency while incorporating understandings of the diplomat as a stranger. The article situates a Holy See diplomat’s mode of agency as a hybrid one by nature, located at the intersections of political and religious modes of agency and substantial and relational conceptions of international politics. I probe this conceptual framework of hybrid agency by analysing episodes involving papal diplomats in turmoil-ridden historical episodes, and correspondence with informed agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presented study The Changes in the Bishop Posts in the Czech Lands in the Period of the First World War deals with the assignment of bishop posts in Czech lands during the period of the First World War in the years 1914-1918. Vienna in war hardship and under the pressure from Berlin vigorously influenced ecclesial issues, which arrangement strengthen the centralistic and absolutistic character of the Habsburg estate. A visible proof of such influence were the interventions during the assignment of archbishops in the Czech lands in the middle of the war -- L. Skrbensky was assigned in Olomouc, P. Huyn in Prague and N. Klein in Brno. The study deals with the given changes and its circumstances, while it analysis the causes and the consequences of the decisions, which by its decisive assertion of the Vienna candidates Lev Skrbensky from Hřiště and Pavel Huyn distinctively infringed free election of ordinaries. The study proceeded from vast material in Historical archive of the State secretariat section for international relations in Vatican, Secret Vatican archive, Domestic, courtly and state archive in Vienna, State archive in Opava (Olomouc's branch), and National Archive in Prague and vast Czech, English, German and Italian literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims at studying the diplomatic position of the Holy See in regard to the context of religious conflict in Nigeria. In order to do it, the sociopolitical reality and the institutional fragility were observed as factors of religious segregation. What will be appointed is the permanent manipulation of the Nigerian State by the Political Islam as a cause of the violence escalation. This paper shows the position of the Holy See in relation to the state situation and the perspective of peace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By analyzing Frances Cabrini as a canonized saint, a U.S. citizen, and an immigrant, this essay shows that American exceptionalism has shaped U.S. Catholic historiography as well as hagiography, and suggests that emphasizing the centrality of the Holy See to the American Catholic story can help historians consider U.S. Catholicism in local, national, and transnational registers. This essay also suggests that Cabrini's story can inspire a new generation of historians to integrate the approaches of several previous generations, by adopting a more expansive vision of the institutional Church that also includes the ordinary people who had little or no direct engagement with its structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the signing of the Concordat of 1851 the Spanish Overseas Churches lived in an exceptional situation. As they were not included in the Concordat, the Churches in these territories were still subject to the «Patronato real» and the Laws of the Indies until their independence in 1898. In this general context, the article analyzes the main problems that hampered the normal administration of the Church in the Spanish Antilles, particularly in Cuba, from 1836 onwards. It documents the unsuccessful efforts of the apostolic nuncio in Madrid to give the Church in the Spanish Antilles a solution in the framework of a concordat. However, Madrid saw the inclusion of the Overseas Churches in its articles as a cession of its privileges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The idea of progress lost appeal because it became associated with the concept of linear process towards maximalist ends that in practice caused much harm. Nevertheless, social justice as an aim of political and social agency on a global scale cannot be approached without any idea of progress in the sense of bringing diversities together towards joint action. The concepts of social justice and progress are intertwined. In order to find a common ground for religious and secular motivated projects of social justice, the paper discusses the concepts of progress in the perspective of a traditional adversary of linear progress modernism: the papacy. Focusing on social teaching contributions by the last two popes’—Benedict XVI (Spe Salvi) and Francis (Laudato Si’)—the finding is that despite variations both popes argue that a transcendent perspective on progress can empower improvements towards more social justice by encouraging and simultaneously limiting human agency. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses the Catholic Church and its' relations with the Kingdom of Italy around the outbreak of First World War. It explicitly focusses on the role the Holy See and the local Catholic Church authorities in the Primorska region played in light of Italian territorial expansion tendencies even before it officialy joined the war in the Spring of 1915. It presents the Holy Father's peace efforts during the Great War and the opinions of bishops in the Primorska region towards Italy and it joining the War on the side of the Entente. The Catholic Church of the Primorska region entered the war hoping that the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, with a catholic royal family, the Habsburgs, at the helm, would live through it and that its' social structure, as they knew it, would persevere. An overwhelming majority of the clergy believed in these goals. Many a priest was willing to give his life for »faith, homeland and the Kaiser«. The responsibilities of the clergy widened as the clashes between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian armed forces escalated. Many priests didn't prepare themselves and their parishioners for the hard times they would know have to survive, because they underestimated the military strength of Italy under the infl uence of state propaganda and military leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Holy See ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in its dual personae as the government of the Catholic Church, and as the government of Vatican City State (VCS). The extent of the Holy See's obligations under the CRC in its former capacity is a current international debate, and the focus of this paper. The Committee on the Rights of the Child in its recent review process concluded that by ratifying the CRC, the Holy See committed to its implementation, not only within the territory of VCS, but worldwide on behalf of Catholics "under its authority." Conversely, the Holy See restricts its duty to that of the transmission of moral principles recognised in the CRC to all people. This paper critically reviews the Committee's concluding observations on the Holy See's second periodic report, and ends by presenting possible alternatives to the Committee's recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effort made by the Holy See during the recent years has led to the issuing of a comprehensive Vatican financial regulation, aimed at aligning the peculiar financial framework of this small State to the international standards and best practices. In this context, the signing, on April 1st 2015, of the Fiscal Convention between the Holy See and the Government of the Republic of Italy (which entered into force on October 16th 2016) introduced a tax payment system for those which both hold accounts and/or investments in the Vatican City State and have the fiscal residency in Italy. The rationale of this treaty is to allow the exchange of information (art. 1), facilitate the fulfillment of fiscal obligations to the addressees (artt. 2-5) and restate some articles of the Lateran Treaty, specifically aimed at ensuring the freedom and independence of the Holy See on the Italian territory. The framework introduced by the Convention takes into account the peculiarities of the Holy See/Vatican City State framework with respect to the addressees of the treaty (with a differentiated regime for past taxes) and to the extraterritorial properties in the Italian territory and it also restates the principle of non-interference for the central entities of the catholic church, previously set forth by article 11 of the Lateran Treaty. it is to be noted that the convention is not comparable to the fiscal agreements that Italy signed with other countries (such as Switzerland or Liechtenstein), as the Vatican city state is not part of any black lists and therefore the enforcement of the agreement is not linked to the Italian voluntary disclosure discipline. On the overall, the Fiscal convention provides for a harmonization of the Vatican regime to the Italian fiscal law as far as deposit accounts and investments taxes. Thus, for the first time -- and despite the public monopoly -- market competition entered the Vatican city State, which is likely to raise other questions about the future role of the Vatican financial framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central qualifying theme is that of the conventional activity of the Holy see, which is not only analyzed historically and dogmaticly, but also as an activity evaluated in the light of the renewal of the council, whose positive implications were the qualifying presence of the church in the world. All this constitutes a change of course in church state relations, not only in terms of the formal tools used, but also, as in the case of relations with non-catholic countries, at the time of the implementation of fundamental rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the religious question in the Basque Country during the last Spanish Civil War. Its subject is the military persecution of Basque clergy during de first year of the conflict. We try to explain how and why the Holy See has been approaching to Francoist Government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution of the Vatican Secretary of State analyses the role of Cardinal Celso Costantini in the relations between the Holy See and China. It traces the biographical and historical vicissitudes of the Cardinal from Friuli, underscoring the actual relevance of his message in view of a possible normalization of the sino-vatican diplomatic relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]