This week I was fascinated with the National Geographic look at the pontificate of Francis so far. They give a glimpse at how Francis is working within and without the traditional structures of the Vatican. It’s worth a read. One thing I found fascinating was the summary of how Francis differs from Benedict in matter of diplomacy. It was offered by Federico Lombardi, the longtime Vatican communications official. Here’s an excerpt from the article:
After meeting with a world leader, the former pope [Benedict] would emerge and rattle off an incisive summation, Lombardi tells me, with palpable wistfulness: “It was incredible. Benedict was so clear. He would say, ‘We have spoken about these things, I agree with these points, I would argue against these other points, the objective of our next meeting will be this’ – two minutes and I’m totally clear about what the contents were. With Francis – ‘This is a wise man; he has had these interesting experiences.’ Chuckling somewhat helplessly, Lombardi adds, “Diplomacy for Francis is not so much about strategy but instead, ‘I have met this person, we now have a personal relation, let us now do good for the people and for the Church.
I think both strategies are helpful, but I resonate more with the Francis approach. What do you think? What kind of diplomat should the Pope be?
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