Among all the difficult situations in the world, the Middle East situation – including the plight of the region’s Christians – is one of the most compelling, says a former top Vatican diplomat who adds that dialogue with Islam must be fostered. Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, currently the Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, served as the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States – the Vatican’s ‘foreign Minister’ – from 2006 to 2014.
He granted an interview before the presentation of second-level master degrees in International Relations awarded by the Catholic-oriented university LUMSA of Rome. In his lecture, Cardinal Mamberti stressed the importance of the Holy See in the international arena. He underscored that “Church law and international law are intertwined, as international law is rooted in the universal vision of the Church.” Cardinal Mamberti told CNA May 12 that “there are many compelling challenges for Holy See diplomacy nowadays… but I think that the Middle East is for us an open wound, in particular due to the plight of Christians and because of the risks this plight bears for the stability not only of the geographical region, but for the stability of the whole world.”
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