Is the position of the Holy See that absolute national sovereignty in the 21st century is an anachronism?
Sovereignty is synonymous with freedom. As the freedom of individuals is limited by law and the just needs of others, so it is for nation-states. The sovereignty of nation-states is their prerogative, which must be recognized. An absolute sovereignty of states is, however, a dangerous myth, the consequences of which are wars. Sovereignty, if accompanied by wisdom, knows how to limit itself; if accompanied by true moral force, it knows how to express itself in even greater vision, together with other states. This is the history of confederated states, like the United States of America, confederations of states and associations of states. Furthermore, every international agreement implies, at the same time, the exercise and the limitation of the sovereignty of a state: the state enters into a binding relationship. It is always and first of all a question of the degree of such limitation and then a question of remaining true to one’s word. Pact sunt servanda (“agreements are to be respect
