A decade of reform in the Vatican City State and the holy see: an alysing Francis’ new geopolitics in the light of international law

Abstract

: Last year marked a decade of the pontificate of Pope Francis, the first non-European pope in over a thousand years and the first Latin American in the history of the Church. This article analyses from the perspective of public international law the main reforms that have taken place during his pontificate, as well as the milestones that have defined his new geopolitics. In this sense, it will address specific questions such as the purpose of his renewed foreign policy, described as the new Ostpolitik, as well as its consequences. The impact of these reforms on the Vatican City State and the Sovereign Order of Malta, as well as on international relations with other subjects of international law, traditionally far removed from the Vatican orbit, will also be studied.