Pope Leo XIV will not join President Donald Trump’s newly formed Board of Peace, the Vatican announced on Tuesday.
The entity — which exists to create a lasting peace in Gaza — was formed by Trump last month in Davos, Switzerland. Trump had invited Pope Leo to join the effort.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said that the Holy See “will not participate in the Board of Peace because of its particular nature, which is evidently not that of other States,” per areportfrom Vatican News.
Parolin added that “there are points that leave us somewhat perplexed,” and there are “some critical points that would need to find explanations.”
But Parolin said the important element is that “an attempt is being made to provide a response.”
U.S. President Donald Trump has invited Pope Leo XIV to join his “Board of Peace” initiative.pic.twitter.com/7IWQh9YsxN
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He added, “However, for us there are certain critical issues that should be resolved.”
One particular issue is that “at the international level it should above all be the UN that manages these crisis situations. This is one of the points on which we have insisted.”
In response to the declined invitation, an unnamed senior Trump administration officialtoldthe New York Post that “the Pope and Vatican are welcome to join the many other nations who are committed to the Board of Peace.”
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