On the sidelines of an event in Rome on Wednesday, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin answered press questions regarding this week's most sensitive news fronts.
Mentioning Thursday's scheduled meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Cardinal Parolin explained that the initiative came from the White House. "I imagine we will talk about everything that has happened in recent days. We won't be able to avoid addressing these subjects," he noted.
Trump's comments
Donald Trump's comments about the Pope have been making headlines for several weeks. Most recently, the American president alleged that Leo supports Iran having a nuclear weapon. Leo XIV replied Tuesday without mentioning Trump by name but implying that the leader’s accusations were not based in reality. He went on to discuss the long opposition of the Church to nuclear weapons.
Cardinal Parolin added his own clarification. "It's certain that this statement [from Donald Trump] is not correct, in the sense that the Holy See, as it has always done and continues to do, works specifically for nuclear disarmament," he explained to journalists on Wednesday. The Pope's right-hand man pointed out that the Holy See had even promoted an agreement questioning "the lawfulness of possessing nuclear weapons" at all.
In fact, Pope Francis, upon his return from Hiroshima, went so far as to tell the press that the mere possession of nuclear weapons is immoral.
"The Pope [Leo] is doing what he has to do," the Secretary of State emphasized. He said he would refrain from "judgments [or] personal evaluations" of Donald Trump, while finding it "a bit strange" how the president chose to "attack [Leo XIV] in this way or reproach him for what he does."
Open to dialogue
Asked about a direct meeting between the two, the Italian cardinal considered it premature to envision such an event, without entirely ruling it out. "The Holy Father is open to everything, he has never backed down from anyone; so if there were an offer or a request for direct dialogue with President Trump, I imagine he'd have no difficulty accepting it," he explained.
The Holy See’s head diplomat also noted that it's impossible to "ignore the United States," which "plays a role in almost all the situations we are experiencing today." He pointed out that many countries look to this power as a reference point on the international chessboard. "I rely on no one, I rely on Our Lord Jesus Christ," he added firmly.
Among the topics expected to be discussed with Marco Rubio, Cardinal Parolin mentioned "the question of conflicts."
Answering a question about Iran, he once again offered the path of dialogue, advocating for "a sincere, good-will negotiation, so that all parties can express their point of view and find points of convergence."
Meanwhile, Church unity
The Secretary of State was also questioned about controversy that arose in recent days surrounding blessings for same-sex couples performed in certain German dioceses. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) published a letter on Monday criticizing the establishment of a "liturgy or para-liturgy" surrounding these ceremonies.
The German Bishops' Conference replied, claiming that this letter, dating back to 2024, doesn't reflect the blessings currently taking place in Germany. But Rome assured on Wednesday, May 6, that its warning remains valid for those blessings "that do not have the approval" of the dicastery.
"For now, we are in dialogue, we'll see what happens," Cardinal Parolin noted cautiously to the press. He expressed confidence "that it will be possible to find a solution" that brings together both sides and hoped "that the problems can be resolved peacefully, as they should be in the Church."
He also considered that talking about potential sanctions was premature and hoped to "never have to come to that," reminding reporters that any final decision rests with the Pope.
