30/06/2026 14:30
- 17:30
HALL: Pola - A105
Contact:
Bottanelli V.
Chair:
Maligot C.
The opening of the Vatican archives for the pontificate of Pius XII (1939-1958) has inaugurated a "global turn" in the study of the modern Papacy. Moving beyond traditional debates surrounding the Second World War, this panel explores the Holy See's deployment of "soft diplomacy" as a tool to navigate a rapidly fragmenting international landscape. It seeks to re-evaluate the Holy See's agency as an international actor during the transition towards a bipolar world. This session aims to trace the Papacy's strategic responses to shifting global scenarios, ranging from the fragile equilibrium in East Asia and the onset of the Cold War in the USSR, to the complexities of the nascent State of Israel and political upheavals in South America.
The panel invites submissions exploring:
-The intersection between newly released archival materials and public sources (speeches, journals, etc.).
-The Holy See's engagement with peace conferences and international treaties.
-The long-term evolution and modernisation of Vatican diplomacy.
-Pius XII's personal agency and leadership in diplomatic strategy.
Proposals focusing on the USSR, the Korean War and India are particularly encouraged.
