It is generally recognized that Pope Paul VI has played a significant role in the development of initiatives for peace in Vietnam, and his efforts and attitudes have frequently been contrasted with those of the Catholic bishops of the United States. Since the publication of John XXIII's Pacem in Terris in 1963, and especially since Paul VI's visit to the United Nations in October, 1965, the papacy has attempted to create and fill a new role for itself as an agency of peace and reconciliation in the modern world. A close examination of the role of the Pope in initiatives for peace in Vietnam, however, reveals both the difficulties of the role and the extent to which the scarcely acknowledged political commitments of the Vatican profoundly affect the efficacy of these initiatives.