Jonas’s role in Ramaphosa’s surprise Vatican visit

President Cyril Ramaphosa travelled to the Vatican City last week to lobby for the support of the Roman Catholic Church, the world’s largest Christian communion, ahead of the G20 summit taking place in Johannesburg next weekend.

Ramaphosa also went to visit the Holy See as part of efforts to correct the misperception that South Africa was one of the few UN member states that did not have representatives at the funeral of Pope Francis in April.

This is according to well-placed government officials, who indicated Ramaphosa’s trip to the Vatican had been set up by his special US envoy Mcebisi Jonas as early as May 2025.

But they also said some ministers opposed the president’s audience with Pope Leo XIV, arguing that visiting one church and not others would send out a bad message, because South Africa is a secular state. However, the president proceeded with the trip regardless, given the size and influence of the Roman Catholic Church in global affairs.

“It took really hard work for our president to be prioritised, and he was prioritised because of the issues that we [are aligned on] ahead of the G20,” said an insider. One of these issues is international debt relief for developing nations, which both the Vatican and Pretoria advocate.

“Mostly, people did not see the strategic value of [the meeting]. They kept questioning what South Africa would get out of it. But the reality is that there is a global realignment now.

“We should be taking a lead on the issues we strongly believe in, such as global peace, the debt crisis and inequality. And on those three issues, certainly, the Holy See is the most outspoken and powerful force in the world.”

South Africa also sought to lobby the Vatican for support in pushing for negotiated settlements in world regions plagued by war, such as the Middle East, Eastern Europe and parts of Africa.

The Holy See under Pope Francis, and now Pope Leo XIV, is a powerful moral guiding force and a champion for peace and the poor against inequality and the debt burden, particularly in Africa.

—  Mcebisi Jonas

Jonas told the Sunday Times on Friday that, in the South African delegation’s discussions with Pope Leo XIV, it was agreed that the Vatican City and the Union Buildings would join forces in strengthening multilateral institutions at a time when they are being undermined.

“[We as South Africans] must be clear-eyed about what we stand for and how we position ourselves in the changing global order.

“The Holy See under Pope Francis, and now Pope Leo XIV, is a powerful moral guiding force and a champion for peace and the poor against inequality and the debt burden, particularly in Africa.

“In the discussions with the Holy See, we agreed to work together to strengthen multilateralism, as well as social, economic and environmental protection. We take the relationship with the Holy See seriously and [are determined not to] squander the opportunity to build strong alliances with like-minded nations and progressive forces in the world,” added Jonas.

After his visit to the Vatican last week, Ramaphosa said: “In addressing the global prosperity deficit, the Jubilee Report and the [Roman Catholic] Church’s calls for reforms to the international financial system resonate deeply with our agenda at the G20 and our mission as a nation.

“Many African states spend more on servicing debt than on education or health care. Innovative financial instruments and reforms of the global financial system are essential if we are to build a fairer, more peaceful and [more] prosperous world.

“Through our G20 presidency, working with all other nations, we hope to move towards a fairer, more just and [more] equitable world order.”