Laudate Deum and Diplomatic Cooling

More than one reader must have been startled when reading that Laudate Deum inflicts “climate blame” on the United States due to gas emissions deemed too high. It is a judgment all the more paradoxical since the apostolic exhortation seems grant China a “fair” rating in this area, although Beijing has never stood out as a paragon of reasoned ecology. Far from it. Moreover, what role was played by the Secretary of State, who is always supposed to have a say in the publication of a text with obvious international political significance?

It is a question which several media outlets – including The Pillar – believe they are able to answer. Citing a “high Roman source,” The Pillar suggests that the Secretariat of State was shut out of the drafting process of the document signed by the Pope, despite the custom of its involvement in matters concerning pontifical diplomacy.

In order to understand what is being discussed here, it is appropriate to re-trace the genesis of Laudate Deum. On August 21, the Sovereign Pontiff revealed to a group of lawyers his intention to write a second part to Laudato si'. Initially announced as an encyclical, the document was published as an apostolic exhortation, a format less engaging with the magisterium and of less authoritative weight.

In the wake of this announcement, John Kerry, special climate envoy of the President of the United States, sent some “very serious suggestions” to the Secretariat of State, charging him with the responsibility of transmitting them to the editorial team—which is nothing unusual so far in the practices of the Apostolic See. The final text of the exhortation was received by the Secretariat of State only very shortly before its publication, “not leaving even a day” for the diplomatic office to offer corrections with regards to the global political context in order to help guarantee the credibility of the Holy See on the international scene.

“In terms of protocol, this is very embarrassing for the Vatican,” summarizes The Pillar, which adds that the papal document with controversial points on the United States was received with caution across the Atlantic. If the exhortation Laudate Deum gives pride of place to greenhouse gas emissions and their consequences on the climate crisis, it nevertheless does not help to dissipate the thick and persistent mists which cover the Vatican.