The Vatican’s chief diplomat, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, revealed to reporters last week that Pope Leo is considering an invitation to join U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” to oversee the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Junno Arocho Esteves, international correspondent for OSV News, joins host Colleen Dulle to explain what factors the Vatican is likely weighing in its decision-making on whether or not to join the board.
One factor, Junno explains, is the tension between President Trump and several European nations over Trump’s possible annexation of Greenland. Following this recording, Cardinal Parolin confirmed to reporters that he and Danish foreign minister Lars Rasmussen had discussed the issue and that Rasmussen “told me about his contacts in Washington, which were very much appreciated.”
In the second part of the show, Colleen and Junno examine a recent, critical address by Pope Leo to the Neocatechumenal Way, warning against “coercion, rigidity, and moralisms.” Junno, a former member of the Way, explains Pope Leo’s previous experiences with the movement. Finally, the hosts look at the broader context of how the Vatican has tightened restrictions on lay movements in recent years.
Links from the show:
Vatican secretary of state: Pope Leo evaluating Trump’s invitation to join Board of Peace
Top Vatican official calls violence in Minneapolis ‘unacceptable’
Pope encourages Neocatechumenal Way to continue mission ‘without closing yourselves off’
Pope Leo to visit Spain this year, with stops in Madrid, Barcelona and Canary Islands, cardinal says
What does the Vatican know about A.I.? A lot, actually.
Pope Leo gives stark warning on AI: We must ‘safeguard ourselves.’
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