When Trump’s Christian Nationalism and Catholic Devotion Meet

In his video message for the “Rededication of the United States to God” on May 17, former Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan remarked that the U.S. Catholic Bishops Conference will consecrate the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 11. The timing of this consecration, as well as the historical significance […]

A Summit against Escalation

It was a masterpiece of diplomacy in a very difficult moment. The summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping was above all an exercise in damage limitation — an attempt to prevent a further deterioration of bilateral relations rather than a serious effort to improve them. Little room for the latter was in evidence. The […]

Global Search for Oneself

In the USA and Europe, immigration is the root cause of the new identity crisis. In China and Asia, it’s about politics and Taiwan. There seems to be a new global quest for identity similar to the one that shaped nation-states two centuries ago, moving away from old royal identities. America was a nation of […]

A pro-tempore summit

In the Trump-Xi meeting, the long-term issues are the backdrop the two won’t discuss. They strain bilateral ties, but are too thorny to touch. Both will wait for the midterm elections. (based on a conversation with Marco Mayer) The May 13-15 Beijing summit between US and Chinese presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping takes place […]

A Tao of War and Peace

On the eve of Trump’s visit to China, the outline of a new Cold War looms larger. Only the Holy See might help. In November 2011, President Barack Obama launched the historic “Pivot to Asia.” After centuries of focus on transatlantic relations, the US shifted its attention to the Asia-Pacific (and to China in particular), […]

A US-EU Royal bridge

Can the UK bridge the widening transatlantic gap? Beyond Trump’s intemperance, many American complaints about Europe are real and are driving the old continent adrift. Can King Charles bring new unity between the two sides of the Atlantic, now drifting apart more than ever? The time is momentous. He goes to the US next week […]

A Persian Tale of Peace

The US and Iran have reached a plateau where they could really negotiate, as the power balance in Tehran evolves. Meanwhile, China’s game could be at a turning point, and the Pope is in it. In a twilight between war and peace, Iran may not yet have found its new dimension. The nation is in […]