The Vatican announced Tuesday that Pope Leo XIV will not join President Donald Trump's newly created Board of Peace, opting instead to back the United Nations as the primary body for handling global conflicts.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, said the Holy See "will not participate in the Board of Peace," citing what he described as the Vatican's "particular nature," which he said differs from that of other states.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Italian officials in Rome marking the anniversary of the 1929 Lateran Pacts, Parolin said there are "critical points that need to be explained" regarding the U.S.-backed initiative.
"The important thing is that an attempt is being made to provide an answer," Parolin said, according to Vatican News.
"However, for us, there are some critical issues that need to be resolved."
One of those concerns, he indicated, is the role of the U.N.
"At the international level, it is primarily the U.N. that manages these crisis situations," he said.
"This is one of the points on which we have emphasized."
Trump's Board of Peace is designed as an independent international coalition aimed at addressing global conflicts — particularly the war in Gaza — outside the framework of the U.N.
More than 25 nations have signed on to participate, including Argentina, El Salvador, Paraguay, Belarus, Bulgaria, the United Arab Emirates, Hungary, Egypt, and Morocco.
Several Western nations, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and New Zealand, have declined the invitation.
The Vatican had previously said it was evaluating whether to take part.
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