Public diplomacy as a tool for implementing the foreign policy of the Vatican: an analysis of the strategic narrative of Pope Francis I

Abstract

Modern scientific research shows that religion increasingly deter -mines the way of life of the societies where traditional confessions have become widespread. The social transformations in the developing and developed states caused by economic modernization and migration processes, as well as the ineffectiveness of the governance models used by the political elites are mentioned as reasons. The world religions adapt to the modern situation and try to influence the socio-political processes. This is also characteristic of the Vatican, the city-state that administers the Roman Catholic Church. An important goal of the Vatican policy over the past decade is to raise the profile of the Catholic Church beyond its traditional sphere of influence. Through the analysis of the strategic narrative of Pope Francis   I, the article considers the public diplomacy of the Vatican as a tool to implement its foreign policy. The purpose of the research  is  to  determine the uniqueness  of  the strategic  narrative  of  the Vatican’s public diplomacy during the early pontificate of Francis I, aimed at transforming the image of the Roman Catholic Church and strengthening its relations with the faithful abroad. Emphasizing the pontiff’s dual  role  as  head of  a sovereign state and head of the Roman Catholic Church, the study uses the frame analysis to  identify  the key ideas articulated  in  the pontiff’s rhetoric.  The results  of  the analysis show that Pope FrancisI’s speeches to the public in the early years of his pontificate were based on the ideas of collective responsibility, universal values, and a call to action. An integrated reflection on these three frameworks suggests that the RCC’s public diplomacy efforts go far beyond the Catholic audiences.