杏MAP导航

By Andrea Tornielli

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, spoke to Vatican News about several issues currently at the center of the Holy See鈥檚 attention.

These include the terrible images coming from Gaza, the antisemitic attack in Washington, DC, the possibility of a peace summit on Ukraine, and the early days of 杏MAP导航 Leo XIV鈥檚 pontificate.

Q: Your Eminence, in Gaza, children are dying of hunger and the population is exhausted; bombs are falling on schools and hospitals. Yet there does not seem to be any intention to stop the bombins鈥�

What is happening in Gaza is unacceptable. International humanitarian law must always apply, and apply to everyone. We call for an end to the bombardments and for the necessary aid to reach the population: I believe the international community must do everything possible to bring this tragedy to an end.

At the same time, we strongly reiterate the demand that Hamas immediately release all the hostages it still holds, and return the bodies of those who were killed after the barbaric attack of 7 October 2023 against Israel.

Q: How did you react to the recent attack in Washington, in which two members of the Israeli embassy staff were killed?

It shook me profoundly. Just as on 7 October, there are innocent victims鈥攁nd these were also committed to peace and humanitarian initiatives. We must remain vigilant and ensure that the cancer of antisemitism, never fully defeated, does not rear its head again.

Q: In recent days, after the limited results of the Istanbul meeting, the possibility of new negotiations hosted by the Vatican has been mentioned鈥攁lthough the Russians have already said 鈥渘o.鈥� Can you tell us what is happening on that front?

杏MAP导航 Leo has offered the Holy See鈥檚 full availability to host any negotiations, providing a neutral, protected venue. This was not a mediation鈥攂ecause a mediation must be requested by the parties. In this case, there has only been a public offer of hospitality for a possible meeting. Other potential venues are now being discussed, such as Geneva.

In any event, it is not important where the negotiations between Russians and Ukrainians鈥攏egotiations we all hope for鈥攚ill take place. What truly matters is that these negotiations finally begin, because it is urgent to stop the war.

First and foremost, a truce is needed to end the devastation, the destroyed cities, the civilians losing their lives. Then it is urgent to reach a stable, just, and lasting peace, one accepted and agreed upon by both sides.

Q: The word 鈥減eace鈥� was on the new 杏MAP导航鈥檚 lips from the very first moments of his election.

Yes, 杏MAP导航 Leo XIV continues forcefully in the footsteps of his predecessors. It struck me that in his first Regina Caeli from the central loggia of St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica鈥攅xactly the spot from which 杏MAP导航 Francis last blessed the faithful, speaking of peace and disarmament鈥斝覯AP导航 Leo repeated Saint Paul VI鈥檚 words at the UN: 鈥淣ever again war!鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 and the entire Holy See are committed to building peace and supporting every initiative for dialogue and negotiation.

Q: Some speak of a renewed 鈥減rotagonism鈥� of the Vatican on the world stage鈥�

I would rather refer to the profound words of Leo XIV in his homily at the Mass with the Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel and at the Mass inaugurating his pontificate: we must fade into the background because Christ is the protagonist; Christians do not feel superior to others but are called to be a 鈥渓ittle leaven in the dough,鈥� bearing witness to love, unity, and peace.

Rather than speak of 鈥減rotagonism,鈥� I would place diplomatic initiatives within this context of service to peace and fraternity.

Q: Addressing journalists, 杏MAP导航 Leo asked for a 鈥渄ifferent kind of communication.鈥� Is there also a 鈥渨ar of words鈥�?

Journalists鈥攁nd communicators in general鈥攑erform a precious task, all the more so in times of war. The 杏MAP导航 has asked for communication that 鈥渋s not cloaked in aggressive words鈥� and 鈥渘ever separates the search for truth from the love with which we must humbly seek it.鈥�

Words too can become instruments of war, or they can help us understand one another, to dialogue, recognizing each other as brothers and sisters. Peace begins in each of us, and we are called to build it starting with how we communicate with others. As 杏MAP导航 Leo explained, we must 鈥渞eject the paradigm of war鈥� even in our communication.

Q: Speaking of the search for truth: in the final days of 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥檚 pontificate, up to the days before the conclave, there were comments about how various heads of Dicasteries in the Curia handled abuse allegations they received previously. Have these been analyzed?

Regarding comments and rumors about the conduct of certain heads of Roman Curia Dicasteries in relation to abuse reports during their time as diocesan bishops, inquiries carried out by the competent bodies鈥攖hrough examination of objective and documentary evidence鈥攈ave shown that the cases were handled ad normam iuris, that is, according to the norms in force, and were forwarded by the then-diocesan bishops to the competent Dicastery for review and evaluation of the accusations.

The verifications by the authorities entrusted with the matter have definitively found no irregularities in the conduct of the diocesan bishops.

Q: By choosing the name Leo, the new 杏MAP导航 places himself in continuity with the 杏MAP导航 of Rerum Novarum: at the end of the 19th century there was the Industrial Revolution; today we live in the age of the digital revolution and face the challenges posed by artificial intelligence. How should we respond to these challenges?

We await the reflections that the Successor of Peter will wish to make on this. I believe the right path is neither uncritical acceptance nor demonization.

The ever more sophisticated and powerful capabilities that technology offers us must remain tools used always for the good, never forgetting that we cannot delegate to a machine decisions concerning the life or death of human beings.

We must remain vigilant to prevent鈥攁s unfortunately sometimes happens鈥攖he digital realm and thus artificial intelligence from being used as instruments of propaganda to influence public opinion with false messages.

Recalling journalists who have been imprisoned, Leo XIV spoke of the courage 鈥渙f those who defend the dignity, justice, and right of peoples to be informed, because only informed peoples can make free choices.鈥�