Description
Research on the securitization of Islam mostly looks at governments and security agencies; yet, it neglects the role played by Christian religious actors in accepting or rejecting securitization in the name of Christianity, as done by many far-right parties, who translate Christianity as identity rather than faith.
Conversely, prominent representatives of Christian Churches promote an inclusive discourse on Islam, like Pope Francis (2013-2025), who preached fraternity towards Islam, fostering an approach based on integral human development and compassion.
This paper contributes to scholarship on the relations between the Catholic Church and Islam in IR, reflecting on the extent to which Islam is still seen as a civilizational enemy and threat to the survival of European Christianity.
Different stances on Islam exist in the Vatican. Still, I choose Pope Francis as the key (de)securitizing actor and conduct a discourse analysis of his speeches on Islam from 2013 to 2025. I argue that the former Pontiff advanced a de-securitizing agenda centred on two pillars. First, to fight xenophobia in European societies; second, to pursue inter-religious dialogue with Muslim-majority countries. Hence, to use the securitization jargon, I conclude Pope Francis’ de-securitization includes both transformative and managerial dimensions.
