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Religious Authorities, Peace, and Political Conflict : Assessing the Impacts of Pope John Paul II's International Travels

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  • Camille Laville

    (CERDI - Centre d'Études et de Recherches sur le Développement International - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne)

Abstract

Between 1978 and 2005, Pope John Paul II traveled to 102 developing countries with the aim, inter alia, of promoting interreligious peace to populations and policy makers. Despite an increasing involvement of religious leaders in peace-building activities, concerns rise on the propensity of religious issues to be locally exploited for political interests. This article examines the dynamic effects of John Paul II travels on the risk of political conflict in host countries depending on their religious demography. Our empirical strategy combines the development of a political conflict risk index, an impact assessment methodology, and the estimation of local projections. Our results show that the travels of John Paul II reduce the risk of conflict in host countries over a 4-year horizon, particularly when the proportion of Catholics is low. We also observe a temporary rise in the risk of conflict for religiously polarized countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Camille Laville, 2021. "Religious Authorities, Peace, and Political Conflict : Assessing the Impacts of Pope John Paul II's International Travels," CERDI Working papers hal-03137434, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:cdiwps:hal-03137434
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://uca.hal.science/hal-03137434v1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Vittorio Bassi & Imran Rasul, 2017. "Persuasion: A Case Study of Papal Influences on Fertility-Related Beliefs and Behavior," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 9(4), pages 250-302, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mathieu Couttenier & Sophie Hatte & Lucile Laugerette & Tommaso Sonno, 2025. "Dear Brothers and Sisters: Pope's Speeches and the Dynamics of Conflict in Africa," Working Papers hal-05029770, HAL.

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