By Wolfgang von Eschenbach
Religion means spiritual guidance. It can also mean spiritual
power. It means economics as well. And since it is managed by humans, fallible
creatures, it can be used for godly or ungodly purposes. Therefore religion
also means politics.
For instance, together Church and State played a role
in the democratization process in Mozambique, from 1975 to 2004 (Vilanculos,
2013).
This brings us to the Vatican, the seat of the Roman Catholic
Church (i.e., Constantine the Great´s renovated Roman empire), an institution
that is what it is but also is what is not what says it is.
Basically it rocketed itself as the number one power in
ancient Rome in the 4th century A.D. Since then kingdoms and empires
rose and fell around it and also got under its feet. But it learnt to persist
through the ages.
Now the Vatican has a powerful influence in world politics. Since it´s got the beef, it is rich beyond belief to do this.
Here is a book that will help you understand the
Vatican´s hold on world issues:
Vatican Influence - The Other Side
of Roman Catholic Church Unveiled, by Nolan McFadden (2020).
Read it here.
References
Vilanculos J.A. (2013). Role played by Church and
State in the democratization process in Mozambique, 1975-2004. PhD Thesis,
University of Pretoria, South Africa. 258 pp