Vatican Slaps Trump Initiative.. Pope Refuses to Join the 'Peace Council'

SadaNews Translation - A senior Vatican official stated that Pope Leo XIV has refused Donald Trump's invitation to join the so-called "Peace Council".

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's Secretary of State, told reporters on Tuesday that the Pope has several concerns regarding the initiative and that he "will not participate" as a result.

He stated: "For us, there are... some crucial issues that need to be resolved. Among these issues, the United Nations, at the international level, must be the primary authority responsible for managing these crises. This is one of the points we have insisted on".

Trump has invited a number of world leaders to join the council, which was originally conceived as a body to oversee the ceasefire in Gaza and coordinate the reconstruction of the sector following the conflict between Hamas and Israel.

Its scope of work has since expanded, with Trump stating that it would be well positioned to address a range of global conflicts. Some view it as an attempt by the U.S. president to create an alternative multilateral forum to the United Nations, which he has repeatedly criticized for being inadequate for its intended purpose, according to what was published by the British newspaper Independent.

Cardinal Parolin had previously confirmed that Trump had invited the Pope to join the board. He said in January: "The Pope received the invitation, and we are studying and considering it".

At that time, he mentioned that the invitation to join the board "requires some time to respond to it" and that the request "will not be for financial participation" since "our situation does not allow us to do so".

Trump claims that the Peace Council has already allocated more than $5 billion (£3.67 billion) to assist in rebuilding Gaza.

However, there have been concerns regarding the makeup of the board, with European governments expressing astonishment that Trump invited Vladimir Putin, the Russian president who has waged war on Ukraine since February 2022.

Arab nations have also expressed their anger over the inclusion of Benjamin Netanyahu, pointing to the Gaza war that has resulted in the martyrdom of over 72,000 Palestinians.

Concerns have been raised regarding the prominent role of former British Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair, who was one of the first names announced by Trump in relation to this initiative. Blair is expected to join the founding executive committee of the council, despite ongoing criticism of Britain's involvement in the Iraq War.

Despite the controversy, dozens of countries - including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Hungary, and the United Arab Emirates - have committed to joining the council.