Thanks to its mediation role in the process of reconciliation between Cuba and the US, Vatican diplomacy finds itself back at the centre of the international stage. The good news of the thaw in relations was met with the Pope’s joy and came as a pleasant surprise to the ambassadors accredited to the Holy See.
A professional job; a job well done, showing Vatican diplomacy at its best. Utmost discretion and professionalism. These are some of the qualities of the papal mediation between Cuba and the US, qualities which were recognised by the ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, who spoke to Vatican Insider. They admitted they were surprised at the news of the normalisation of relations between Washington and Havana and pointed to discretion as the key factor that led to the historic result witnessed yesterday.
The first person to show his recognition for the work done by the diplomats involved, was Pope Francis himself. He was unable to contain his joy on Thursday morning when he received a large group of new ambassadors who gathered in the Clementine Hall in the Apostolic Palace to present their credentials to the Pope
“The work of an Ambassador is a job of taking small steps, doing small things but whose aim always is to build peace, to bring the hearts of people closer together and sow brotherhood between peoples. This is your work, but done with small things, very small things,” Francis said.
“And today we are all happy because yesterday we saw two nations, who were estranged for so many years, take a step to bring them closer together. This was achieved by Ambassadors, by diplomacy. Yours is a noble, very noble work. I hope it will be fruitful and may God bless you,” he added.
Meanwhile, in embassies across Rome, there was a palpable mix of satisfaction and gratitude for the Pope’s contribution in the air. Just a few hours ago, no diplomat could have dreamed that Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro were going to take the historic step that they did, on the very day Francis – who played a key part in achieving the thaw in relations – was celebrating his birthday. Several months ago, some ambassadors did, however, notice concrete signs of détente.
At the start of April, representatives of a number of Latin American countries were invited to breakfast at the residence of the US Ambassador to the Holy See, Kenneth Hackett. The purpose of the meeting was to exchange opinions on the private audience that had taken place between the Pope and President Obama just days before, on 27 March. During the friendly and cordial meeting, the US ambassador assured those present that President Obama was very pleased by the outcome of the face to face meeting with Francis.
All the ambassadors offered positive opinions and Mr. Hackett revealed that one of the issues discussed were the open talks for the release of contractor Alan Gross and the three Cuban agents who formed part of the “Cuban Five” ring. The ambassadors left it at that, since their US counterpart was unable to give them any further information.
But an intervention from the Vatican was imminent. The previous January, the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, had travelled to Rome for the sole purpose of meeting his Vatican counterpart, Pietro Parolin. By that point, Cuban and US officials had already held a series of secret meetings in Canada which was considered “neutral territory”. By the summer, time was ripe for the direct involvement of the Pope.
Mr. Hackett himself confirmed some of the details regarding these dates, in an official statement. In this statement, he highlighted the “key role” the Vatican had played throughout the negotiations and the efforts the Pope had made, writing to the US and Cuban Presidents in person, in mid-2014. In his letters, not only did he advocate the mutual release of detainees, but also “urg[ed] a resolution of the matter of prisoners and progress in our bilateral relationship.”
The diplomat said the US President appreciated the support the Pope expressed in relation to the talks, his moral authority in encouraging both sides and the Vatican’s support in convening both delegations. The committees met in Rome in October. Cardinal Parolin’s diplomatic skill helped find solutions that were satisfactory to all.
“We were surprised but overjoyed when we heard the news; we know that the Pope played a very important role on an international diplomacy level, facilitating communication and mediation, with good results,” the Portuguese ambassador to the Holy See, Antonio de Almeida Ribeiro, told Vatican Insider.
He stressed Francis’ figure as “moral reference point throughout the world”, adding that he is respected across various sectors on an international level. Peru’s representative, Juan Carlos Gamarra, agreed, confirming the weight Francis carries as a leader and the trust he inspires in people.
“The work the Vatican did, carrying out the Pope’s policies in favour of peace, harmony and peaceful co-existence, was very important. The fact that this was all done with the utmost discretion, was key. These were two friendly states, the Vatican and Canada, acting with enormous discretion. The importance of the Pope’s role is evident and I hope his great work can be extended to other conflicts throughout the world. Let us hope that this positive attitude is adopted with regard to other problems, because humanity needs to live in peace,” Guatemala’s Alfonso Matta Fahsen said.
The Ambassador of Venezuela, Germán José Mundaraín Hernández, recalled that Latin American governments as well as many sectors within the US “constantly called” for détente between the US and Cuba.
He agreed that “the range of agreements reached between the two sides was surprising. We hope these agreements will be built upon further. We realise that dismantling a system that has been around for 50 years is neither easy nor without obstacles. It was an act of valour on Obama and Castro’s part, they showed courage in taking an extraordinary decision made during Advent, a time of reconciliation, dialogue and good news.”
