La The Holy See and the Government of Chile during the Guano and Salitre War: between Diplomacy and Influences

Abstract

In 1879 the War of the Pacific between the Republics of Chile, Bolivia and Peru is developed. This
conflict was not only a concern of the nations involved, it also unsettled the Vatican, who at first
advocated dialogue between the countries involved.

Between 1877 and 1881 Mario Mocenci served as Apostolic Delegate and Extraordinary Envoy for the countries of Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. During the war, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile maintained communication with the Apostolic Delegate through letters, in which he described details of the situation and attached documentation to understand the conflict. In this paper we have studied bibliography on the subject and also worked on the Vatican Secret Archive, where we find the letters and documents received by the Holy See from Chile, which provide unpublished background for the study of diplomatic relations during the Pacific War.