It has been a busy few days at the Vatican. Easter week, with its public ceremonies and celebrations, is just behind us. This coming weekend will see the canonisation of two Popes, John XXIII and John Paul II. Pope Francis will preside, and the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, could also be present. Along with many hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of others.
Even more than usual, the sense of the Vatican operating as a hub for world religion, global leaders and ordinary people of all creeds, colours and classes is palpable. The Pope’s traditional “Urbi et Orbi” (“to the City and the World”) message on Easter Sunday was, as always, covered extensively by the international media. The range of issues he addressed was striking, in a way difficult to imagine from any other world leader. He touched on the need to tackle hunger, conflict, and wastefulness. On the need to protect the vulnerable and comfort migrants far from home. And he spoke in specific terms about Ebola sufferers in Guinea Conakry, Sierra Leone and Liberia; about those kidnapped in different parts of the world by terrorists; about the conflict in Syria; about violence in Iraq; peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine; conflict in Central African Republic, Nigeria and South Sudan; the need for reconciliation in Venezuela; and the importance of peace initiatives in Ukraine.
So it is no coincidence, if something of a surprise even to the Holy See, that delegations from around the world will attend the canonisation ceremony in St Peter’s Square this weekend. Although primarily a religious, and specifically Catholic, event, there will be at least 19 heads of state and 24 heads of government, as well as many other delegations from every corner of the globe. They are here because they wish to pay homage to two great world leaders – John XXIII and John Paul II – who bestrode the second half of the 20th century, and because they recognise the ongoing global role and impact of the Papacy in its new guise under Pope Francis. The Queen – Her Majesty herself, of course, met the Pope earlier this month – will be represented by The Duke of Gloucester, who was also here for the beatification of John Paul II in 2011 and the inauguration of Pope Francis’ pontificate last year.
Yet again, the eyes of much of the world will be focused on St Peter’s Square. The Pope is apparently the most “searched for” personality on Google, and the most re-tweeted of world leaders. Virtually and physically, the Vatican remains one of the world’s great meeting points.