Michael Kelly: Soft Power in a World of Hard Men

Joseph Stalin is widely attributed with the dismissive remark, “The Pope? How many divisions has he got?” Yet, in the first decades of the 21st century, the Papacy is demonstrating that power need not rest on armies. Through moral authority, persuasion and global influence, it is emerging as a strong voice for a shared world order

Michael Kelly, a leading Catholic commentator and writer, brings his experience and insight to this timely discussion, drawing on his new book, In Christ We Are One: Pope Leo XIV at the Service of Humanity.

In a world where it often seems that the one who shouts the loudest is the one to be heard, the quiet leadership of Pope Leo XIV contrasts the noisy and ostentatious power of the politician with the gentle leadership of a shepherd.

From climate change to calls for a more peaceful world, the Vatican is often referenced as the voice of reason. But what are the implications for the Church in a secular age, and how does the Pope stay true to his spiritual mission to point people towards God when so many who welcome his political interventions have little interest in spirituality