The author said that in diplomacy, the Holy See upholds the principle of "the force of the law, not the law of force."
He said the Holy See had expressed its willingness to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, provided that both parties accept this mediation and the "just solution" proposed by the mediator. He added that statistics show there are currently 56 minor or major conflicts worldwide, yet the focus remains on the war in Ukraine.
The Archbishop of Split-Makarska, Zdenko Križić, remarked that “The power of the Holy See’s diplomacy is not military, but rather a silent and spiritual power, which nevertheless carries strength.”
Professor Josip Dukić of the Catholic Faculty of Theology in Split highlighted Eterović’s role as Apostolic Nuncio in Ukraine. He noted that Eterović reports around 20 million Ukrainians are now part of the diaspora due to the situation in that country.
The Holy See was one of the greatest advocates for Croatia’s independence
Jure Trutanić of the Faculty of Croatian Studies in Zagreb said the diplomacy of the Holy See is the oldest in the world.
He pointed out that the Holy See was one of the greatest advocates for Croatia's independence, and that Eterović played a key role in that effort.
During the fall of the Berlin Wall, Trutanić noted, Eterović was working in the Secretariat of the Holy See. On one occasion, the Pope at the time asked him for his opinion, and he replied that “a large portion of the Serb minority in Croatia does not accept any kind of Croatian state.”
Eterović was born in 1951 on the island of Brač, and has served in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since 1980. In 1999, Pope John Paul II appointed him apostolic nuncio to Ukraine, and in 2004, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops in the Vatican. In 2013, Pope Francis appointed him apostolic nuncio to Germany, a diplomatic post he continues to hold.