Description
This paper explores the ideas of community, authority and legitimacy with the example of Holy See diplomacy. Several example exist, domestically the twelfth century French Peace of God movement, and internationally the 1454 mediation when Pope Nicholas V awarded the Canary Islands to Portugal. The most prominent of these is the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas. This treaty, under Pope Alexander VI, peacefully divided Latin America between the Spanish and Portuguese Empires. Only the Holy See had the legitimacy and authority to mediate and impose such an agreement through its unique status and spiritual mission. Using the solidarist branch of the English School as its framework, the paper argues that a greater sense of community can support shared norms. This sense of community connects to the idea of Christendom with the papacy at its centre. This has relevance for modern superpowers such as the United States and China in the contested unipolar era. Their military might is not sufficient to ensure their authority. Instead, legitimacy comes from an understanding of the community of states and how power is exercised to bolster existing norms.
