Cardinal Parolin: «The first situation for peace is to place an finish to Ukraine's aggression» | EUROtoday

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After the phrases of Pope Francis on Ukraine and the braveness of the “white flag” which have provoked controversy and reactions from chancelleries around the globe, the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, intervenes: «The Pontiff's enchantment is that “yes create the conditions for a diplomatic solution in search of a just and lasting peace”. In this sense it’s apparent that the creation of such situations is not only as much as one of many events, however quite to each, and the primary situation appears to me to be exactly that of placing an finish to the aggression”.

Parolin thus intervenes with an interview with Corriere della Sera, after on the evening of Monday 11 March Kiev announced that it had summoned the nuncio for clarifications while also the German chancellor Olaf Scholz, received by Francis about ten days ago, said he did not share Bergoglio's appeal to what appeared to international observers almost a call to surrender towards Moscow.

«We must never forget the context», specifies Parolin, «and, in this case, the question that was addressed to the Pope, who, in response, spoke about negotiation and, in particular, about the courage of negotiation, which it is never a surrender. The Holy See pursues this line and continues to ask for a “ceasefire”, and the aggressors should first of all cease fire, and then the opening of negotiations. The Pope explains that negotiating is not weakness, but strength. It's not surrender, but it's courage. And he tells us that we must have a greater regard for human life, for the hundreds of thousands of human lives that have been sacrificed in this war in the heart of Europe. These are words that are valid for Ukraine as well as for the Holy Land and for the other conflicts that are bloodying the world.”

When requested whether or not there’s nonetheless the opportunity of reaching a diplomatic resolution, Parolin, who can be in all respects the top of mission of the humanitarian initiative undertaken by the cardinal and president of the CEI, Matteo Zuppi, replies: «These are selections that rely by human will, the opportunity of arriving at a diplomatic resolution at all times stays. The conflict unleashed in opposition to Ukraine shouldn’t be the impact of an uncontrollable pure catastrophe however of human freedom alone, and the identical human will that triggered this tragedy additionally has the likelihood and duty to take steps to place an finish to it.”