Why Anthony Albanese’s presence at Pope Leo’s inauguration is shrewd politics

By Darius von Guttner Sporzynski, Historian, Australian Catholic University

When Prime Minister Anthony Albanese steps into St Peter’s Square for the inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, the optics will be far more than pious courtesy.

For a day, the Vatican will temporarily be the world’s premier diplomatic stage. And a canny Australian leader can use such an occasion to advance domestic and foreign policy agendas simultaneously.

Faith optics and domestic politics

Albanese has lately spoken of “

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