The Conscience and the Wor(l)d

 

The notion of a Secretary-General of the United Nations, as the half-Soviet, half-liberal internationalist-sounding office of supreme pontiff of this organisation is known, is not so young as it might seem at a first glance. While , the Catholic world has long had - which extends long beyond Catholic-majority countries, or the consciences of Catholics themselves. This is obviously a precarious position 

What then, is the purpose of the office of Pope, from an international perspective? Well, considering his national duties are very limited (if garbed in autocratic powers present no elsewhere on the continent, albeit broadly "liberally" exercised) there is nothing else than the international to the tiara. 

Against this, I must say I never like the Bishop, as he is, as much as when he is under barrage of criticism. Because it is when the mighty (as he undoubtedly is, if seldom as mighty as "earthly power", lest we collapse into pure "soft power" belief)