The article represents a consistent study of historical and of current political presence of the Holy See in the territory of Palestine and Israel as well as of Vatican’s position on some problematic issues in the region from the perspective of the state’s foreign policy priorities. Special attention is paid to the Vatican’s stance on the US actions regarding the relocation of the Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and the impact of these events on the Vatican-American and Vatican-Israeli relations. The study is of relevance as the understanding of the abovementioned issues can be useful in finding non-standard and network formats of conflict resolution. Moreover, the analysis of the scientific discourse revealed that Russian researchers do not pay enough attention to activity of the Holy See on the international arena. Thus, the article is to fill the abovementioned gap in the scientific discourse, being the first comprehensive study of the Holy See’s presence in the region. The authors conclude that Vatican’s interest in the Holy Land intensified after the First World War. At the same time most activities were suspended during the Second World War. The policy of the Holy See towards the region has undergone changes since the Second Vatican Council. The article states that the Vatican conducts gradual, but ambiguous policy towards the countries in the Middle East, focusing on the protection of the Christian population. The article also examines the reaction of the Holy See to US relocating the Embassy to Jerusalem, stating negative attitude of the Holy See towards the United States.
Key words: Holy See, Vatican, Palestine, Israel, papal diplomacy, Middle East, Catholic church, Pope Francis.
References
1. Gosudarstvo Palestina: pravo na budushchee [The State of Palestine: the right to the future] / Fedorchenko A.V., Krylov A.V., Morozov V.M. Moscow, MGIMO-Universitet Publ., 2018. 418 p. (In Russian).
2. Zonova T.V. Diplomatiia Vatikana v kontekste evoliutsii evropeiskoi politicheskoi sistemy [Diplomacy of the Vatican in the context of the evolution of the European political system]. Moscow, ROSSPEN Publ., 2000. 200 p. (In Russian).
3. Kasatkin P.I. Tsennosti i prioritety deiatel’nosti Russkoi Pravoslavnoi tserkvi na mezhdunarodnoi arene [Values and priorities of the Russian Orthodox Church in the international arena]. Vestnik Moskovskogo universiteta. Seriia 12: Politicheskie nauki, 2012, no. 3, pp. 68-72. (In Russian).
4. Kasatkin P.I., Ivkina N.V. “Miagkaia sila” vo vneshnepoliticheskoi strategii Rossii: ot teorii k praktike [“Soft power” in Russia’s foreign policy strategy: from theory to practice]. Pravo i upravlenie. XXI vek, 2015, no. 2 (35), pp. 107-112. (In Russian).
5. Krylov A.V., Morozov V.M. Palestinoizrail’skii trek: proval blizhnevostochnoi politiki administratsii B.Obamy [Palestinian-Israeli track: the failure of the Middle East policy of the administration of B.Obama]. Vestnik MGIMO-Universiteta, 2017, no. 4, pp. 99-112. (In Russian).
6. Maslova E.A., Shebalin D.D., Shebalina E.O. Rossiisko-vatikanskii dialog na sovremennom etape: osnovnye tendentsii i dinamika [Russian-Vatican dialogue at the present stage: the main trends and dynamics]. Vestnik Brianskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta, 2017, no. 3, pp. 70-75. (In Russian).
7. Morozov V.M. Palestino-izrail’skie mirnye peregovory 1995-2001 gg. [Palestinian-Israeli Peace Talks 1995-2001]. Vostokovednyi sbornik. Moscow, Institute of Oriental Studies Russian Academy of Sciences, 2002. Pp. 76-87. (In Russian).
8. Petrunina Zh.V. Diplomaticheskaia bor’ba evropeiskikh derzhav v sviazi s konfliktom v Osmanskoi imperii v kontse 40-kh godov XIX veka [Diplomatic struggle of European powers in connection with the conflict in the Ottoman Empire in the late 40-ies of the XIX century]. Vestnik Riazanskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta im. S.A.Esenina, 2007, no. 1, pp. 55-62. (In Russian).
9. Shebalin D.D., Shebalina E.O. Publichnaia diplomatiia Sviatogo Prestola [Public Diplomacy of the Holy See]. Publichnaia diplomatiia: Teoriia i praktika [Public Diplomacy: Theory and Practice]. Ed. by M. M. Lebedeva. Moscow, Aspekt Press Publ., 2017. Pp. 217-238. (In Russian).
10. Shumilin A. Problema Ierusalima v blizhnevostochnoi politike SshA [The problem of Jerusalem in the Middle East policy of the USA]. Mirovaia ekonomika i mezhdunarodnye otnosheniia, 2017, no. 12, vol. 61, pp. 43-51. (In Russian).
11. Borromeo A. Le rétablissement du Patriarcat latin de Jérusalem et le réforme de l’Ordreéquestre du Saint-Sépulcre, La France et la Terre Sainte (Collective Work of the Lieutenancy of France), Parole et silence, Ed. (Monts), 2012.
12. Italia-Libia. Storia di un dialogo mai interrotto / A cura di Rossi G., Bontempi M., Parente U., Scoppola Iacopini L. Istituto Studi Politici “San Pio V” Roma. Roma, Editrice APES, 2012. 324 pp.
13. Kildani H. (Rev, Ph. D.) Modern Christianity in the Holy Land: Development of the Structure of Churches and the Growth of Christian Institutions in Jordan and Palestine / Hanna Kildani AuthorHouse, 2010, 719 p.
14. Palomino R. L’Accordo sulla personalità giuridica tra Israele e la Santa Sede (nota a documento n. 20). Quaderni di diritto e politica ecclesiastica. Il Mulino, 1998, no. 2, pp. 419-428.
15. Simon J. The Papacy and the Establishment of the Kingdoms of Jerusalem, Sicily and Portugal: Twelfth-Century Papal Political Thought on Incipient Kingship. Journal of Ecclesiastical History, 2017, vol. 68, iss. 2, pp. 223-259.
16. Zanini P. The Holy See, Italian Catholics and Palestine under the British Mandate: Two Turning Points. Journal of Ecclesiastical History, 2016, vol. 67, no. 4, pp. 799- 818.
