Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides News Agency) – On Monday, June 22, the inaugural session of the “Rome Summer Seminars on Religion and Global Politics 2026,” an international academic initiative dedicated to the relationship between religion and global politics, will be held at the Pontifical Gregorian University. This program, organized as part of a collaboration involving the Gregorian University, the University of Notre Dame, and the Sinderesi Foundation, brings together students, researchers, and experts called to reflect on the major balances of the contemporary world.
The inaugural session, free admission, will take place from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in Room F007 of Palazzo Frascara. The opening addresses will be delivered by Father Dariusz Kowalczyk, President of the Collegium Maximum of the Gregorian University, and by Monsignor Samuele Sangalli, Coordinator of the Sinderesi School.
At the heart of this public session will be the opening lecture by Professor Massimo Faggioli of Trinity College Dublin, on the theme: “Pope Leo XIV and Global Politics: From the 2025 Conclave to Magnifica Humanitas.” His presentation aims to offer a reflection on the place of the Holy See in the current international context, emphasizing in particular its vocation in the service of peace, dialogue, and multilateralism.
Faggioli’s contribution will shed light on the role of the Holy See as a “potential guardian of multilateralism” and as one of the “neutral bridges” at the service of reconciliation, in a historical moment marked by profound geopolitical tensions. This reflection will also examine the specific nature of the Holy See's actions, which differ from those of power, as well as the unique contribution of the Vatican City to the pontificate's mission of peace, in view of the centenary of its founding in 2029.
The conference will be followed by a roundtable discussion with Michael Driessen, Fabio Petito, Adrian Pabst, and Antonella Piccinin, renowned experts in the field of relations between religion, society, and international politics. The entire program aims to provide a space for high-quality dialogue on contemporary challenges, highlighting the contribution of the Catholic tradition to a culture of encounter and peace. (MLK) (Fides News Agency, 20/6/2026)
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