Does the Pope Have Any Power?

Presidents and prime ministers are often the first to come to mind when thinking about who shapes foreign policy. But there is another resonating voice at the center of international relations: the pope. Unlike other religious leaders, the head of the Roman Catholic Church exercises a unique influence over global affairs, and in recent years, popes have helped shape the outcomes of critical inflection points in history. In this episode, Why It Matters examines the pope’s enduring influence.

This episode was originally released by Why It Matters on May 13, 2022.

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Host

Gabrielle Sierra
Podcast Host and Senior Producer

Episode Guests

Timothy Byrnes
Third Century Chair in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics and Professor of Political Science, Colgate University

Francis Campbell
Vice Chancellor, University of Notre Dame Australia

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The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher.