“The Pontiff's call is that 'the conditions be created for a diplomatic solution in search of a just and lasting peace.' In this sense, it is obvious that the creation of such conditions does not belong only to one of the parties, but to both parties, and the first condition seems to me to be precisely that of putting an end to the aggression. We must never forget the context, the question that was asked of the Pope, who, in response, spoke of negotiation and, in particular, of the courage of negotiation, which is never capitulation. » This was stated by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, in an interview with Corriere.it. The Pope's closest collaborator, the one who directs the diplomacy of the Holy See, has no doubt: “The Holy See continues this line and continues to ask for a “ceasefire” – and the ceasefire – The fire must above all be that of the aggressors – and therefore the opening of negotiations. The Holy Father explains that negotiating is not a weakness, but a strength. This is not surrender, but it is courage. And that tells us that we need to give more consideration to human life, to the hundreds of thousands of human lives that have been sacrificed in this war in the heart of Europe. These are words that apply as much to Ukraine as to the Holy Land and to other conflicts that are bloodying the world. »
Fear of more serious conflict
The Holy See, he explains, fears a prolongation of the war. However, “since these are decisions that depend on human will, there always remains the possibility of reaching a diplomatic solution.” And on the ongoing conflict in Gaza, he adds: “The two situations (regarding the Russian-Ukrainian front, editor's note) certainly have in common the fact that they have dangerously extended beyond any acceptable limit, that they cannot be resolved, that they have repercussions in different countries, and that cannot be resolved without serious negotiations. I worry about the hatred they generate. When will such deep wounds ever heal?
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