The International Conde de Barcelona Prize awarded to the Cardinal Secretary of State

“The diplomacy of the Holy See is a ceaseless quest for just and human ways, while at the same time taking into account the rights and responsibilities of people and of States and the good of every person which is only obtained by safeguarding the common good”. These are the words of Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State, in the discourse he gave on Tuesday, 25 September, at the Monastery of Pedralbes, Barcelona, where the International Conde De Barcelona Prize was conferred upon him. The prestigious recognition – set up by the Conde de Barcelona Foundation of the Spanish daily La Vanguardia, is intended for important figures or institutions that have distinguished themselves in the field of communications – was presented to the Cardinal by King Juan Carlos I of Spain himself. During the ceremony in which numerous religious and civil authorities took part, Cardinal Bertone reflected on the characteristics and purposes of “the Pope's diplomacy”, underlining in particular that it “works, discreetly but constantly at the service of many situations,  to save lives and to make many people's situation more human and sustainable”. Particularly important, in the Cardinal's opinion, is the commitment of papal representatives to promoting peace, which “continues to be a priority aim of the Holy See”, to be achieved through a wise balance between “realism” and “prophecy”.