Pope Leo XIV has declined an invitation to join President Donald Trumps newly created Board of Peace, a high-profile initiative aimed at securing a durable settlement in Gaza.
According to Western Journal, the Vatican confirmed on Tuesday that the pontiff will not take part in the body, which President Trump announced last month during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The Board of Peace was conceived as a vehicle to mobilize global resources, enforce accountability, and guide the implementation of the next critical phases of demilitarization, governance reform, and large-scale rebuilding, according to a White House fact sheet.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin explained 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 Vatican News. He acknowledged that there are points that leave us somewhat perplexed, and there are some critical points that would need to find explanations.
Parolin nonetheless stressed that the Vatican recognizes the gravity of the situation and the value of efforts to end the bloodshed. The important element, he said, is that an attempt is being made to provide a response.
The cardinal reiterated that the Holy See still sees unresolved concerns with the structure and mandate of the Board. However, for us there are certain critical issues that should be resolved, he added.
One of those concerns centers on the role of international institutions and the balance of power in crisis management. At the global level, Parolin argued, 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.
From Washingtons side, the response was measured but firm, underscoring that the door remains open to Rome. An unnamed senior Trump administration official told the New York Post that the Pope and Vatican are welcome to join the many other nations who are committed to the Board of Peace.
The official declined to air any behind-the-scenes tensions or negotiations in public. Were not going to get into the details of diplomatic conversations, the official added.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt voiced disappointment at the Vaticans refusal to participate in what the administration views as a historic peace and reconstruction effort. She called the decision deeply unfortunate.
Leavitt emphasized that the administration sees the initiative as morally urgent rather than ideologically divisive. I dont think that peace should be partisan or political or controversial, she told journalists on Wednesday. And of course, the administration wants all those who were invited to join the Board of Peace to join, she added.
The press secretary also highlighted the scale and ambition of President Trumps approach to the devastated enclave. This president has a very bold and ambitious plan and vision to rebuild and reconstruct Gaza, which is well underway.
President Trumps Board of Peace is intended to channel conservative principles of accountability, security, and international burden-sharing into a concrete framework after more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas. While the Vatican prefers to see the United Nations in the lead, the administration is pressing ahead with a coalition of willing partners, leaving open the possibility that the Holy See may yet reconsider its stance as the Boards work advances.
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