The Vatican’s top diplomat, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said Tuesday that the Vatican will not take part in the peace council initiative launched by U.S. President Donald Trump, stressing that efforts to address international crises should be managed by the United Nations.
Pietro Parolin stated that the Vatican “will not participate in the peace council due to its particular nature, which of course differs from that of other states.” He added that one of the main concerns is that, at the international level, such crises should primarily be handled by the United Nations — a point the Vatican insists upon.
Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, had received an invitation in January to join the council.
Under Trump’s plan — which led to a fragile ceasefire in Gaza in October — the council was initially expected to oversee the temporary administration of the territory. However, Trump, who chairs the council, later said its mandate would expand to address global conflicts.
The council is scheduled to hold its first meeting in Washington on Thursday to discuss Gaza’s reconstruction. Italy and the European Union have indicated that their representatives intend to attend as observers, as they are not formal members of the council.
The Gaza truce has seen repeated violations, with reports indicating that hundreds of Palestinians have been killed and four Israeli soldiers have died since it took effect in October.
Israel’s offensive on Gaza has resulted in more than 72,000 deaths, triggered widespread hunger, and displaced the entire population of the enclave internally. A number of human rights experts and researchers have said the assault amounts to genocide — a conclusion also reached by a United Nations investigation.
