The Vatican will not join President Donald Trump’s newly formed Peace Council, its top diplomatic official said Tuesday, signaling the Holy See’s reluctance to join the post-war initiative.
Vatican Foreign Minister Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the Holy See “will not participate in the Peace Council due to its special nature, which is clearly not that of other states,” the Vatican’s official news channel reported.
The Peace Council, which was established in January and includes nearly 20 countries, is charged with managing recovery efforts in the Gaza Strip after the war between Israel and Hamas.
While responding to questions about Italy’s refusal to join the board, Parolin said: “There are points that leave us somewhat baffled,” adding that “there are some critical points that need explanations.”
TRUMP CUTS CANADA BY WITHDRAWING COUNTRY’S INVITATION TO JOIN THE ‘MOST PRESTIGIOUS COUNCIL OF LEADERS EVER’
The Vatican has announced that it will not participate in President Trump’s Gaza recovery council. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
“The most important thing is that there is an attempt to provide an answer,” he said. “However, for us there are certain critical issues that need to be resolved.”
Parolin continued: “One concern is that at the international level it should be primarily the UN that manages these crisis situations. This is one of the points we have been pushing for.”
Pope Leo, the first American pope, received an invitation to join the peace council in January.
TRUMP HEALTH WARNS HAMAS OF ‘SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES’ WHEN ADMIN LAUNCHES PHASE TWO OF GAZA PLAN
The Vatican refused to join a US-backed administration charged with overseeing post-war efforts in Gaza. (Alberto PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)
Leaders from 17 countries participated in the charter’s first signing ceremony in Davos, Switzerland, in late January, including presidents and other senior government officials from Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Central and Southeast Asia.
Israel formally joined the administration last week, ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with Trump at the White House.
Several other countries were also invited by the White House, including Russia, Belarus, France, Germany, Vietnam, Finland, Ukraine, Ireland, Greece and China.
TRUMP MEETS NETANYAHU, SAYS HE WANTS A DEAL WITH IRAN, BUT REMINDS TEHRAN OF ‘MIDNIGHT HAMMER’ OPERATION
President Donald Trump’s newly formed Peace Council will move forward without Vatican participation. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
Poland and Italy said on Wednesday they would not join.
Trump announced Sunday that administration members have pledged more than $5 billion in aid for Gaza.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The president said the funding would be formally committed at a meeting Wednesday in Washington, DC
