Holy See Condemns Violence in Minnesota as "Unacceptable"
During a meeting on ethics and economics at LUMSA University in Rome this evening, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin addressed the escalating civil unrest in Minnesota. The Cardinal’s remarks underscored the Vatican's deep concern regarding the recent deaths of two American citizens during operations involving ICE agents.
Rejection of Violence
Cardinal Parolin was clear in his condemnation of the unrest, stating that the Holy See's position is rooted in the absolute avoidance of violence.
Diplomatic Stance: "We cannot accept episodes of this kind," Parolin remarked, insisting that "the difficulties, the problems, the contradictions are resolved in other ways."
Alignment with US Bishops: The Secretary of State explicitly aligned the Vatican with the American bishops, adopting their terminology by labeling the current situation in the United States as "unacceptable."
Broader Context of the Briefing
While the Minnesota crisis was a primary focus, the Cardinal also addressed several other high-stakes diplomatic issues:
The "Board of Peace" for Gaza: Parolin acknowledged receiving an open letter from the Network of Priests Against Genocide urging the Vatican to boycott the Trump-led reconstruction board. He noted that there are "critical aspects" of the plan that cannot be overlooked.
Denmark and Greenland: Following a recent trip to Denmark, Parolin expressed optimism regarding a diplomatic solution between Copenhagen and Washington concerning Greenland.
Security at the Winter Olympics: When asked about reports of ICE teams potentially operating in Italy for the upcoming Games, the Cardinal declined to enter the controversy, noting only that he was aware of the news.
"The Holy See's position is always to avoid any kind of violence, obviously, and therefore we cannot accept episodes of this kind." — Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Source: https://www.vaticannews.va/it/vaticano/news/2026-01/parolin-libro-lumsa.html
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