The newly elected Head of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI, demonstrates amazing energy in his ambition to unite contemporary believers, regardless of their ethnicity, religion or nationality, around the ideas of a united world without wars and conflicts, harmonized with respect to the individual creed. It is possible that we start living in such a world? What are the basic trends in the foreign policy of the Holy See?
One of the deepest longings of the human heart is to live in a world, as the prophet Isaiah (Is 2:4) announced, in which men and women “shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore”. At the same time, we cannot ignore the plain fact that “men, as sinners, are and will always be under the threat of war until the coming of Christ”, but we are also certain that “in as much as they succeed, united in love, to conquer evil, they will also conquer violence” (Gaudium et Spes, No. 78). This thought of the Second Vatican Council sustains the efforts of the Church and the Popes in the promotion of peace. The Church never forgets the words of Jesus: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Mt 5:9). Here, I would like to remember that great friend of Bulgaria, the Apostolic Delegate Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, later Pope John XXIII, declared blessed by his successor Pope John Paul II. Pope John XXIII, while living in a time of dramatic conflicts, never lost hope of constructing a world of peace. This began with his deep and unshakable faith, nurtured from the first years of his life, in God and in man: in God, merciful and compassionate, who calls us to fraternity; in man, in all men and all women of all places and all times, on account of the image of God stamped within them. In his famous Encyclical Pacem in Terris, he entrusted humanity with the immense task of establishing social relationships – relations between individuals, families, citizens and the State, States among themselves, etc. – on the foundations of truth, justice, love and freedom. In order to live in a world of peace, therefore, all of us need to work seriously and untiringly in that direction. If we consider the heart of the issue, we will notice that peace is not principally a question of structures, but of persons. Juridical, political and economic structures intended for the preservation and consolidation of peace are necessary; fortunately, they already exist and should be encouraged and always reinforced, but these same structures are the fruit of wisdom and experience accumulated down the centuries through numerous gestures of peace, made by men and women who never became discouraged. Allow me to recall here the prominent place enjoyed by the Popes of the last century, as well as the new century that has just begun, in the quest for peace. In particular, one can remember Pope John Paul II and the current Pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI.

This reflection on peace offers me the opportunity to answer the second part of the question on the current trends of the diplomacy of the Holy See. Someone defined the Holy See as “the first Western power to make a systematic use of diplomacy designed to promote international peace”. Truly, then, the promotion and, if necessary, the defence of peace and peaceful co-existence, in the midst of ethnic, religious and cultural differences; the rejection of war as a way of solving disputes between States; the promotion of conflict-resolution and post-conflict reconciliation and healing; these are the principles and the lines of action sine qua non for the diplomatic activity of the Holy See. The Church's work for peace is not limited to the political arena. It also extends to the socio-economic and inter-religious spheres. In fact, it is impossible to achieve peace in the political order without first solving the problems connected with the development of peoples and the equitable distribution of riches in the world. Accordingly, the Holy See has undertaken an unprecedented campaign aimed at awakening the consciences of the privileged nations and stimulating them to responsible action, in order to remove the economic and social inequalities of the developing countries. For there can be no possibility of a lasting peace while those glaring international imbalances continue to exist. Another area of the diplomatic activity of the Holy See, which is specifically reserved to the Church, is that of ecumenism. Ecumenical activity cannot ignore the broader problems which confront the world today, especially those related to social justice and peace. While ecumenism considers the unity of Christians as its ultimate goal, it also strives to create the conditions in which men and women of good will may peacefully live and cooperate regardless of their religious convictions. Through the constant penetration of the idea of religious peace into different cultures, it is hoped that awareness may be restored to the human family of its common origin and destiny, and that an end may be put once and for all to the horrors of religious wars, the seedbed of which were the religious differences and intolerance of the past.

I would like to mention briefly some other fundamental principles of Pontifical Diplomacy: 1) first and foremost, the centrality of human person, his or her dignity and rights; the right to life in all stages of his development; the right to freedom of expression, of conscience, of religion, in all its dimensions and not only as freedom of worship; the right to be given a central place in social, cultural, economic and political life; 2) support to institutions and peoples that foster democracy and dialogue even with “difficult” regimes; 3) respect for international law and support for multilateral diplomacy.

What concrete changes have occurred since, for the first time in the history of our bilateral relations, the head of the Vatican, in the person of Pope John Paul II visited Bulgaria in 2002? How do you assess the level of bilateral relations between Bulgaria and the Holy See and what are we expect in the future?
The visit of Pope John Paul II to Bulgaria in May 2002 certainly raised the relations between the Holy See and Bulgaria to a higher level. These relations, however, are not new. Each year, in fact, on the Feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius, it is customary that the Pope receives in the Vatican representatives of the Bulgarian Government and Church. Looking to history we find that, according to the Life of Constantine, Pope Adrian II went personally to meet the holy brothers of Thessalonica when they came to Rome to bring the relics of St. Clement, Pope and Martyr, and to bear witness to the communion between the Church founded by them and the Church of Rome. Relations between the Holy See and Bulgaria are long-standing. And speaking of Holy See and Bulgaria, I believe it's worthwhile to mention that it was at the Council of Sardica (Sofia) in 343 that, for the first time, the authority of the Pope to send Legates to act in his name was formally recognized. It was an important point of Papal diplomacy: from then on Papal emissaries became more numerous, more high-level, more frequent. Here, too, I would like to remember the memory of Archbishop Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, who was Apostolic Delegate to Bulgaria for almost ten years (1925–1934). His reports and letters from Sofia attested to his affection for Bulgaria and, as one last testament of his attachment to the country and its people before leaving Sofia for Istanbul, he asked the Pope to change his Archiepiscopal Titular See to Nessebar, that jewel of an islet full of enchanting churches at the edge of your Slanchev Brag, that Roncalli so deeply cherished. As we look to the future, it is important to remember that historical experience shows that the proclamation of the Christian faith has not stifled but rather integrated and exalted the authentic human and cultural values proper to the genius of the countries where it has been preached. It has also contributed to their openness to one another and helped them to overcome enmities and to create a common cultural and spiritual heritage, necessary for stable and constructive relations of peace. The Holy See is hopeful that Bulgaria will have a splendid future, so that, by continuing to be a meeting point between East and West, it can prosper in liberty, progress and peace. As humanity and the family of nations travel down these paths, the Holy See intends to cooperate closely with Bulgaria, assuring her of its constant friendship and support in the search for the common good, respect for the human person and the promotion of the highest spiritual values.