The Vatican’s Moral Voice in the Critical Mineral Era: Does the Vatican Need a Policy Platform for its Meetings with Mining CEOs?

Authors

• Raymond Offenheiser, University of Notre Dame
• Keith Slack, Rights Forward Consulting, LLC

Abstract

On January 19, three American Catholic bishops issued a striking warning about the future of American foreign policy, lamenting that it was undermining “the moral foundation for America’s actions in the world.” The bishops responded to a retreat toward transactional, power-centric diplomacy – one where human rights, international solidarity, and the common good are increasingly secondary to narrow national interests. This shift is most evident in the global race for “critical minerals,” – and perhaps nowhere is the need and opportunity for Church moral leadership clearer.

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Recommended Citation

Offenheiser, Raymond and Slack, Keith (2026) "The Vatican’s Moral Voice in the Critical Mineral Era: Does the Vatican Need a Policy Platform for its Meetings with Mining CEOs?," The Journal of Social Encounters: Vol. 10: Iss. 2, 116-126.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.69755/2995-2212.1435
Available at: https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/social_encounters/vol10/iss2/9