Exclusive Interview: Pope of the Vatican 🇻🇦

Presented by:https://app.warera.io/party/6a219c3ea78955565cbb7f0a

Guest: Pope of the Vatican, https://app.warera.io/user/697b1c3375e83770b288d1db

https://app.warera.io/country/69614d0e5d798a861630c58 https://app.warera.io/country/69614d0e5d798a861630c58e is one of the most distinctive nations in WarEra, built around a unique structure unlike any other country in the game. As part of our ongoing series of interviews with representatives of other nations, we had the opportunity to speak with the Pope about how the Vatican is governed, its relationship with Serbia, his views on proxy states and diplomacy, and his personal journey to the Papacy. Below is what he shared with us.

The Vatican is one of the most unique nations in WarEra. How would you describe its role in the international community, and what are your main priorities as Pope?

Pope 🇻🇦:

It varies from pope to pope and the period tbh. Priorities change too, in the past it was helping nations that were struggling and crusading, recently it’s mostly managing our relationship with Italy.

Do you believe the Pope's voice carries weight in international affairs? Would you like to see the Holy See play an even greater diplomatic role in the future?

Pope 🇻🇦:

Hardly these times, the world is divided in macro blocs (even if there have been some splits recently), everything else revolves around it. Personally I would like to see the Vatican trying to support those who are struggling again, which is kinda why we joined BEER.

Unlike most nations, the Vatican has a unique structure built around the Papacy, the Conclave, and the Council. Could you explain how those institutions work together, and how important they are in shaping the Vatican's decisions?

Pope 🇻🇦:

Really depends on the Pope, in the first months I was pope people were ok with almost any decision I would make so I did things on a whim, currently we have more people that are active politically so the decision making isn’t so one sided anymore. We aren’t a big nation so discussions can really be joined by anyone in the Vatican, personally I enjoy when someone doesn’t agree with me and is able to explain why.

Do you believe moral leadership has a place in a competitive political game like WarEra? Why or why not?

Pope 🇻🇦:

Only as far as damage permits, realistically if the Vatican wanted to try and enforce some type of "justice" internationally we would need to actually deter others to make playing dirty not worth it.

Do you believe respect and diplomacy can be just as effective as military strength in WarEra? Why?

Pope 🇻🇦:

To a degree, unfortunately sometimes the will of God has to be defended with force.

What are the biggest challenges currently facing the Vatican, both internally and internationally?

Pope 🇻🇦:

Internally it’s probably to keep people engaged, many people join strictly for roleplay and don’t care much about the politics.

Internationally I would say our relationship with Italy, honestly it has some great people but recent events inside of it trouble me.

How would you describe the current relationship between the Vatican and Serbia, and what do you think both nations should focus on to strengthen that relationship further?

Pope 🇻🇦:

Cordial and to a degree ally-like, open communication is definitely important.

You've been openly critical of proxy states in the past. What concerns you the most about them, and how do you think they affect diplomacy and the overall health of the game?

Pope 🇻🇦:

Countries in the game are limited, I will always prefer people that take countries to make something unique (like Vatican or Uzbekistan) rather than taking them over just to follow orders from another one.

Obviously I understand why this happens in some cases, right now without the ability to attack overseas, ships etc. Without proxies a country like Germany wouldn’t be able to effectively fight a country like South Africa which is allied with basically everyone around and big communities are only present in northern Africa, which they’re allied with too. I hope in the future the game will have mechanics that allow for alternative ways to fix this problem.

You've previously described your approach to diplomacy as "schizo politics." For players who may not be familiar with the term, what exactly does it mean, and what philosophy is behind it?

Pope 🇻🇦:

I would say it’s following what you find the funniest rather than what makes sense. Fun always comes before strategic benefits.

What inspired you to become Pope, and what has been the most rewarding part of leading the Vatican?

Pope 🇻🇦:

Initially when I saw the Vatican is in the game I just wanted to join it to fight for the Pope, then I discovered the Vatican has an inquisition that was preventing the Pope for taking power. And that’s when I decided to create an opposition and „fight“ them for the Papacy.

The most rewarding part would probably be meeting all the people I did.

Many new players look up to experienced leaders. What advice would you give someone who wants to build a respected community rather than simply a powerful nation?

Pope 🇻🇦:

Find a goal and stick to it, or just find a group that wants to do crazy things and do it. Don’t worry about respect that much, a lot of leaders in this game operate on a basic instinct.

My allies = always good, my enemies = always bad. And you will not be able to change it, group mentality is strong in this game.

Looking back on your time as Pope, what achievement are you the proudest of, and what vision do you still hope to accomplish in the future?

Pope 🇻🇦:

Creating the early Holy League and taking Jerusalem for a day. We were a group of perhaps 50 and managed to push back a much bigger country like Egypt. One of the funniest wars I’ve fought in.

Finally, what message would you like to send to the international WarEra community?

Pope 🇻🇦:

Nationalism might motivate you to play this game for sometime but it will eventually kill your will to play in the long term, so do crazy stuff.

A big Thank You to the Pope of the Vatican for taking the time to sit down with us and for being so honest throughout the conversation.

This interview offered a rare look into one of WarEra’s most unusual nations. One built not around sheer size or military strength, but around a completely unique roleplay dynamic and structure. From the inner workings of the Papacy and the Conclave, to his honest take on proxy states and the importance of having fun over strategy, the Pope showed that leadership in the Vatican looks very different from leadership elsewhere in the game.

Perhaps most memorable was his closing message: that nationalism might carry a player for a while, but it’s the willingness to do something genuinely unique, to build rather than just follow - that keeps the game worth playing in the long run.

Stay tuned for more exclusive interviews with world leaders, coming soon🍀

Interview conducted by: https://app.warera.io/user/6a242427daafad41f08e5a88