VATICAN CITY (RNS) — The No. 2 officer on the Vatican mentioned that the Holy See is hopeful about working with President-elect Donald Trump’s administration to deal with peacekeeping choices as wars escalate in Europe and past.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin’s feedback had been made on Friday (Nov. 15) at a convention on Catholicism and China on the Pontifical Gregorian College, the place he introduced an optimistic outlook in regards to the Vatican’s relationships with Beijing.
The Vatican hopes there can be “synergy” with the incoming president “as a result of we imagine that every one issues right this moment are international issues requiring international options,” Parolin mentioned, “and people options can solely occur if we put all of our assets collectively.”
Because the Vatican’s secretary of state, Parolin has been immediately concerned in mediating the Holy See’s relations with Russia, China and the US in a worldwide context characterised by rising tensions and wars. Whereas he voiced optimism about working with the Trump administration to construct peace, he additionally underlined “the have to be very humble and affected person.”
At an occasion organized by the America First Coverage Institute at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Thursday, Trump repeated his vow, made all through the presidential marketing campaign, to finish all wars. Taking a maybe extra pragmatic strategy, Parolin confused that “there aren’t any magic options” to the rising conflicts, which “require numerous goodwill and willingness to compromise with others.”
“If these are the principle approaches then we will really construct bridges and never partitions,” Parolin added, citing Pope Francis’ comment regarding Trump throughout his first presidential marketing campaign in 2016, when he first promised to construct a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico.
Trump is poised to take a extra aggressive and hawkish stance on China, whereas the Vatican has engaged in a coverage of dialogue with the rising superpower. Whereas Parolin mentioned that “it’s laborious to inform others what to do,” the “precept of dialogue is crucial” to the Holy See, which is able to proceed to have interaction with China diplomatically.
Secretary of State of the Holy See Cardinal Pietro Parolin speaks throughout a plenary session on the COP29 U.N. Local weather Summit, Nov. 13, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Picture/Sergei Grits)
The Vatican introduced in late October {that a} secret deal on the appointment of bishops between the Holy See and the Folks’s Republic of China was renewed for 4 years. The deal, which permits Beijing to have a say on the appointment of bishops within the nation, was met with criticism by those that imagine that it weakens the Vatican’s energy to denounce human rights violations in China. The previous bishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal Joseph Zen, and the previous U.S. secretary of state beneath Trump, Mike Pompeo, spoke overtly towards the Sino-Vatican deal.
“Endurance and braveness: These are the 2 elementary attitudes that we should proceed to undertake within the China file,” Parolin mentioned, describing the renewal of the deal as an indication “of progress,” in addition to the presence of Beijing-approved bishops at an vital Vatican summit in October.
“There are these small indicators that shouldn’t be diminished of their significance and transfer towards a bigger understanding and collaboration,” he mentioned.
The convention, titled “A Legacy of Friendship, a Dialogue of Peace,” targeted on the lifetime of the Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci, who introduced Catholicism to China within the late 1500’s by infusing his religion into the cultural and political material of Chinese language society. Pope Francis often acknowledges Ricci’s contributions to dialogue and encounter in his speeches and made him “venerable” in 2022, a primary step towards canonization.
Parolin mentioned Ricci laid out the framework of the Vatican’s engagement with China by proving “that there isn’t any contradiction between being authentically Chinese language and being Christian; quite the opposite, the gospel strengthens Chinese language tradition from inside.”
The bishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal Stephen Chow, underlined the significance of the “Ricci manner” within the persevering with dialogue between China and the Holy See. Talking on the convention, he mentioned Chinese language society, at its personal tempo, is slowly altering its strategy to Catholicism and faith typically.
“We could not agree on the method,” Chow mentioned, “however that’s what dialogue is for.” He optimistically described “a metamorphosis of China,” which is beginning to not view religion as a overseas risk and treasure the contributions of the Catholic Church within the subject of charity, well being and schooling.
“Folks will see the goodness of the church, so let’s proceed to stroll with China,” Chow mentioned.
The Vatican’s worldwide dedication extends past China and is targeted on points pricey to Francis, together with migration and local weather change. Parolin attended the convention shortly after coming back from Baku, Azerbaijan, which is internet hosting the worldwide local weather convention COP29 from Nov. 11-22.
“Local weather change is an moral and ethical concern, not only a technical one,” Parolin mentioned. “The nice theme of this convention can be managing a fund to deal with the damages and losses brought on by local weather change.” The earlier COP29 convention in Dubai created the fund, however Parolin mentioned that it nonetheless lacks monetary assist. “International locations must be inspired to make a extra important contribution,” he mentioned.
