The Cardinal Secretary of State speaks to journalists about the Israel-Hamas agreement signed in Egypt, the Holy See-China agreement on the appointment of bishops, and the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Corina Machado.
By Salvatore Cernuzio
Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin has expressed his “general satisfaction” over the peace agreement between Hamas and Israel signed today in Egypt, with U.S. mediation.
In remarks to journalists, the Secretary of State today called the deal a “step forward”, and expressed his hope “that this is indeed the first step on a path toward lasting and definitive peace.”
Israeli Embassy statement
The cardinal was also asked about the statement issued last week by the Israeli Embassy to the Holy See, criticizing an interview the Cardinal had given to Vatican Media.
Parolin said that the interview, published by Vatican News and L’Osservatore Romano, “was intended to show the Holy See’s presence and solidarity with what had happened on October 7, because we were marking the anniversary, while negotiations were already ongoing in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.”
“Above all,” the interview “was meant as an invitation to peace”.
“I don’t believe there is moral equivalence between the two situations. Wherever there is violence, it must be condemned,” Parolin emphasized.
What those statements aimed to express, Parolin said, was “the desire for peace”, the desire “to put an end to this violence and to start a path and process of reconciliation and peace.”
The hardest part, the cardinal remarked, would be the implementation, “because, as they say, the devil is in the details. So there are many points that need to be implemented and probably about which there is no perfect agreement between the two sides.”
What’s needed is “goodwill,” affirmed Parolin, praising the fact that a result has at least been achieved: “Let’s hope we can continue in this direction.”
Progress in dialogue with China
During his brief conversation with journalists, the Secretary of State also discussed the 2017 Vatican-China agreement on the appointment of bishops, which has already been renewed twice.
“The experimental agreement continues to move forward. We still see it as a positive thing, in the sense that it has allowed the Holy See and China to find some minimal agreement on the fundamental issue of bishop appointments,” the cardinal explains.
Of course, “there are still difficulties,” but these must be addressed “with great patience and great trust.” Currently, “there are still groups that declare themselves underground, but the Agreement was precisely meant to overcome this division and lead to normalization of the Church.”
Since the beginning of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate, the cardinal points out, some “steps” have been taken: “I imagine the Pope will continue on this path,” he said. The path, that is, of demonstrating that one can “be good Catholics and good Chinese citizens,” as Pope Francis often said.
“This applies to all countries,” Parolin states. “Being good Catholics in no way contradicts being faithful to one’s homeland and collaborating in building it up and promoting the well-being of the entire society.”
The Nobel for Machado
Naturally, the cardinal – who knows Venezuela well, having served as nuncio from 2009 to 2013 – was asked to comment on Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan activist awarded the Nobel Peace Prize today.
“I hope this decision taken regarding Maria Corina can truly help the country,” Parolin concluded, expressing his hope that “it might help the country regain serenity, rediscover the path of democracy, and foster cooperation among political factions.”
