Religion: New Emissary to the Pope

Although the Vatican is not a country but a city-state—and at 108.7 acres, a tiny one—it has its uses in international diplomacy. For rising young careerists, assignment to the Holy See* is a welcome opportunity to develop the graces that they will carry to larger posts. For senior men, it is often a final and extraordinary experience before their retirement from public life.

All 65 countries represented at the Vatican today—among them the Moslem United Arab Republic and Communist Cuba—find the papal corridors not only a valuable listening station but a strategic position to catch the ear of the leader of 614...