Commenti a: Pope Francis: The Return of Ostpolitik https://www.mondayvatican.com/vatican/pope-francis-the-return-of-ostpolitik Vatican at a Glance Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:40:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 Di: The Pope, the Patriarch and the People: recovering common aspirations | arcoftheuniverse.info https://www.mondayvatican.com/vatican/pope-francis-the-return-of-ostpolitik#comment-1272316 The Pope, the Patriarch and the People: recovering common aspirations | arcoftheuniverse.info Fri, 19 Feb 2016 19:00:53 +0000 http://www.mondayvatican.com/?p=2344#comment-1272316 [...] at this particular time. Andrea Gagliarducci, on the other hand, offers a cautiously skeptical account of the Vatican’s emerging “Ostpolitik”, contrasting it to the approach of [...] [...] at this particular time. Andrea Gagliarducci, on the other hand, offers a cautiously skeptical account of the Vatican’s emerging “Ostpolitik”, contrasting it to the approach of [...]

]]> Di: Andrea Gagliarducci https://www.mondayvatican.com/vatican/pope-francis-the-return-of-ostpolitik#comment-1271793 Andrea Gagliarducci Wed, 17 Feb 2016 08:52:19 +0000 http://www.mondayvatican.com/?p=2344#comment-1271793 Thanks for taking your time to read. I know that sometimes things are not as clear as I think, and a good feedback helps me to clarify. God's plan are always bigger than us. So, let's be optimistic, despite any circumstance. I just make a snapshot of what I see, then things may be different or change. Thanks for taking your time to read. I know that sometimes things are not as clear as I think, and a good feedback helps me to clarify. God’s plan are always bigger than us. So, let’s be optimistic, despite any circumstance. I just make a snapshot of what I see, then things may be different or change.

]]> Di: Ceile De https://www.mondayvatican.com/vatican/pope-francis-the-return-of-ostpolitik#comment-1271792 Ceile De Wed, 17 Feb 2016 08:42:17 +0000 http://www.mondayvatican.com/?p=2344#comment-1271792 Thank you for taking the time to reply to me. It was as I suspected it might be - unfortunately, it means that things are very, very bleak. Poor Pope Benedict must be suffering so much to see the wolves roaming triumphant - for now. Perhaps we are not fasting and praying enough this Lent. May God bless you for your important work. Thank you for taking the time to reply to me. It was as I suspected it might be – unfortunately, it means that things are very, very bleak. Poor Pope Benedict must be suffering so much to see the wolves roaming triumphant – for now. Perhaps we are not fasting and praying enough this Lent. May God bless you for your important work.

]]> Di: Andrea Gagliarducci https://www.mondayvatican.com/vatican/pope-francis-the-return-of-ostpolitik#comment-1271723 Andrea Gagliarducci Tue, 16 Feb 2016 14:02:37 +0000 http://www.mondayvatican.com/?p=2344#comment-1271723 Hi! Thanks for writing. I will try to give a response to all of your questions. First of all, the doctrinal-theological concessions. Take, for example, the dialogue with the Lutherans. He will go to Lund Oct. 31, for the commemoration of the Reformation. Lutherans might take this gesture as a sort of acknowledge of the schism. He could even try to pursue the theological dialogue, more than giving a presence. But, as he said during the meeting with Kirill, he thinks that "ecumenism is made by walking". That means that theology is on a second level. So, the Pope does not care if Lutherans might take his presence as a sort of backing of the Reformation. He just goes. This is a doctrinal concession. A doctrinal concession is also meeting the patriarch Kirill for a meeting that "it is pastoral", always in Pope Francis' words. Despite the fact that the final declaration had many non pastoral things - the appeals to the international community, for example - saying that the declaration is pastoral freezes the theological dialogue. It is on a second level. But, if the final aim is to reaching out for truth, and if you believe that what you believe is truth, you don't just go and accept to meet without any well grounded dialogue. Pope Francis does. He is very Jesuit in this. He goes beyond Christianity, and - yes - I believe he thinks that truth might be (re)introduced later in the dialogue. How much this will work, I cannot assess. I am quite skeptical, but I am not a fortune teller, I cannot foresee the future. I don't have any conclusion to this. I don't see the theological goal there anymore, and I could find many clue of that (if you read to my pieces backwards, you will find many mentions about that). But I don't know if the outcomes will be good or not. I can just identify the trends. Hi! Thanks for writing. I will try to give a response to all of your questions.

First of all, the doctrinal-theological concessions. Take, for example, the dialogue with the Lutherans. He will go to Lund Oct. 31, for the commemoration of the Reformation. Lutherans might take this gesture as a sort of acknowledge of the schism. He could even try to pursue the theological dialogue, more than giving a presence. But, as he said during the meeting with Kirill, he thinks that “ecumenism is made by walking”. That means that theology is on a second level. So, the Pope does not care if Lutherans might take his presence as a sort of backing of the Reformation. He just goes. This is a doctrinal concession. A doctrinal concession is also meeting the patriarch Kirill for a meeting that “it is pastoral”, always in Pope Francis’ words. Despite the fact that the final declaration had many non pastoral things – the appeals to the international community, for example – saying that the declaration is pastoral freezes the theological dialogue. It is on a second level. But, if the final aim is to reaching out for truth, and if you believe that what you believe is truth, you don’t just go and accept to meet without any well grounded dialogue. Pope Francis does. He is very Jesuit in this. He goes beyond Christianity, and – yes – I believe he thinks that truth might be (re)introduced later in the dialogue. How much this will work, I cannot assess. I am quite skeptical, but I am not a fortune teller, I cannot foresee the future. I don’t have any conclusion to this. I don’t see the theological goal there anymore, and I could find many clue of that (if you read to my pieces backwards, you will find many mentions about that). But I don’t know if the outcomes will be good or not. I can just identify the trends.

]]> Di: Ceile De https://www.mondayvatican.com/vatican/pope-francis-the-return-of-ostpolitik#comment-1271720 Ceile De Tue, 16 Feb 2016 13:04:07 +0000 http://www.mondayvatican.com/?p=2344#comment-1271720 [CORRECTED] Hi Thank you for your articles but I must admit I often find them too cryptic and vague. Of what would or do “doctrinal-theological concessions” consist? Can you give some examples, please? Why do you think a pope would prefer to give them in the interests of dialogue? Dialogue to what end? If the end is the truth, why compromise that truth in the interests of dialogue? Is the idea to start the dialogue and then (re)introduce truth later as the end goal? Or is the end goal not the truth? Then what is it? You wrote: “This “realpolitik” meets Pope Francis’ need to show his closeness to non-Christian places and the Secretariat of State’s need to be a well-considered international player.” This makes it sounds like we are dealing with very earthly goals and personal desires. Again, fine to raise it (and I suspect you may be right), but don’t you need to develop this to the logical conclusion? You ask a good question at the end but please do not stop there. The question is surely if the theological goal is even there anymore. So, what do you think is the end goal? [CORRECTED]
Hi
Thank you for your articles but I must admit I often find them too cryptic and vague.
Of what would or do “doctrinal-theological concessions” consist? Can you give some examples, please?
Why do you think a pope would prefer to give them in the interests of dialogue? Dialogue to what end?
If the end is the truth, why compromise that truth in the interests of dialogue? Is the idea to start the dialogue and then (re)introduce truth later as the end goal? Or is the end goal not the truth? Then what is it?
You wrote:
“This “realpolitik” meets Pope Francis’ need to show his closeness to non-Christian places and the Secretariat of State’s need to be a well-considered international player.”
This makes it sounds like we are dealing with very earthly goals and personal desires. Again, fine to raise it (and I suspect you may be right), but don’t you need to develop this to the logical conclusion?
You ask a good question at the end but please do not stop there. The question is surely if the theological goal is even there anymore. So, what do you think is the end goal?

]]> Di: More on the Pope and the Patriarch: Is Ukraine being sacrificed? | arcoftheuniverse.info https://www.mondayvatican.com/vatican/pope-francis-the-return-of-ostpolitik#comment-1271662 More on the Pope and the Patriarch: Is Ukraine being sacrificed? | arcoftheuniverse.info Tue, 16 Feb 2016 02:59:39 +0000 http://www.mondayvatican.com/?p=2344#comment-1271662 [...]  See here, here and here.  One commentator sees the meeting as emblematic of a turn towards ostpolitik on the part of Pope Francis who, stressing “reality over ideas,” aims to establish [...] [...]  See here, here and here.  One commentator sees the meeting as emblematic of a turn towards ostpolitik on the part of Pope Francis who, stressing “reality over ideas,” aims to establish [...]

]]> Di: Ricardo Luna https://www.mondayvatican.com/vatican/pope-francis-the-return-of-ostpolitik#comment-1271629 Ricardo Luna Mon, 15 Feb 2016 20:05:17 +0000 http://www.mondayvatican.com/?p=2344#comment-1271629 The US is a reluctant global superpower Russia is a major European and Asian power with a world-wide vision. The Vatican is a global soft power. Thus, Pope Francis' pro-active Vatican diplomacy, in this critical context, is objectively constructive, particularly if the conflicts in the Middle East, central Europe and the global economy continue to intensify. The US is a reluctant global superpower Russia is a major European and Asian power with a world-wide vision. The Vatican is a global soft power. Thus, Pope Francis’ pro-active Vatican diplomacy, in this critical context, is objectively constructive, particularly if the conflicts in the Middle East, central Europe and the global economy continue to intensify.

]]> Di: BYZANTINE MONDAY EDITION – Big Pulpit https://www.mondayvatican.com/vatican/pope-francis-the-return-of-ostpolitik#comment-1271584 BYZANTINE MONDAY EDITION – Big Pulpit Mon, 15 Feb 2016 06:04:32 +0000 http://www.mondayvatican.com/?p=2344#comment-1271584 [...] Sviatoslav Unhappy in Joint Declaration; Vatican Is “Weaker Team” – C.E. Olson Pope Francis: The Return of Ostpolitik – Andrea Gagliarducci, Monday Vatican The Pope, the Patriarch, and the Pan-Orthodox Council [...] [...] Sviatoslav Unhappy in Joint Declaration; Vatican Is “Weaker Team” – C.E. Olson Pope Francis: The Return of Ostpolitik – Andrea Gagliarducci, Monday Vatican The Pope, the Patriarch, and the Pan-Orthodox Council [...]

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