The Holy See and the Syrian Refugee Crisis: A Study of the Catholic Church's Soft Power
Author: Lauren A. Newman
Publisher/Publication: Honors Theses
This paper seeks to investigate how the Catholic Church interacts in the secular field of international relations by looking at its response to the Syrian migrant and refugee crisis. Analyzing the Church’s response, the author looks at the statements of the Holy See’s mission to the United Nations as well as statements and actions of local churches that address the conflict on the ground in Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. Therefore, Joseph Nye’s definition of soft power is utilized as a framework to analyze the Church’s actions. The research indicates that the Catholic Church uses soft power methods through its actions at the UN and its local churches to pursue its goals in responding to the crisis.
