May 20, 2010. The Vatican may be the smallest country in the world, but it’s one of the most influential. It maintains diplomatic ties with 175 countries and exchanges ambassadors with each one of them.
That’s why, 20 diplomats from every country in Latin American, met at the Gregorian University in Rome. Here they’re learning all about Vatican diplomacy, it’s part of the course titled: The Catholic Church and the Holy See’s foreign policy.”
Card. Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga
Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras
“The initiative came about so that ambassadors to the Holy See, and others as well, can learn about the typical things that are said about Vatican diplomacy – what it’s about and how the Vatican diplomacy is organized and carried out.
Ian Carlos Torres Parra
Minister-Counselor of Venezuela’s Embassy to the Holy See
“I’m here participating in this course, representing the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, which is really quite interesting because we will be able to gain an overview of the role of the Holy See’s international policy within the frame work of the Catholic Church.”
This is the 4th edition of this course, which this year is focusing specifically on Latin America. Currently, more than half of Catholics around the globe, live in Latin America.
Over a span of 10 days, participants will learn what it means to be a good ambassador. They’ll also learn the role and the significance of the Vatican’s foreign policy.
Card. Jean-Louis Tauran
President, Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
“Ambassadors who participate in the course are people who come to learn about serving their country, because diplomacy is also about knowing how to understand and how to learn.”
Ian Carlos Torres Parra
Minister-Counselor of Venezuela’s Embassy to the Holy See
“Ambassadors who participate in the course are people serving their country and who also want to learn more, since diplomacy is also about knowing how to observe, understand and learn.”
A short course that puts into practice the social doctrine of the Church with one goal in mind: collaboration with the world’s governments for the development of nations and social justice.
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