April 13, 2026 - AFPC Research Fellow and Program Officer Alexander JP Lutz moderated the U.S. Helsinki Commission (CSCE) briefing, "Vatican Diplomacy in an Age of Estrangement, Power Politics, and War." [link]
As states increasingly resort to coercion and military force as preferred instruments of statecraft, the Holy See instead responds to this tumultuous era by urging all states to protect the dignity and freedom of the individual person. While others conduct international affairs in the framework of axes and alliance and often in haste, the Holy See maintains political neutrality to advance a moral position that is far from indifferent. This often involves a patient engagement with those the international community seeks to isolate.
With the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV approaching its first anniversary, this briefing will examine his foreign policy and the historic opportunities an American pope presents to the United States and the world. Panelists will also explore how an entity that is both church and state has shaped the modern secular order, its competence as a global mediator, and whether its soft power and boundless hope is enough to temper the extremes of the moment.
Panelists:
Jackie Aldrette, Deputy Secretary General for US Relations of the AVSI Foundation
Victor Gaetan, Senior International Correspondent at the National Catholic Register
Peter G. Martin, Special Assistant to the President of Boston College and former U.S. diplomat accredited to the Holy See