Cardinal Parolin: War in Holy Land 'beyond imagination'

Cardinal Parolin

Source: Vatican News

The Vatican's Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, has expressed his dismay at the renewed outbreak of violence in the Holy Land. "The real problems that arise must be solved with quite different methods," he said.

Cardinal Parolin made the remarks on Sunday as he spoke at a cultural event in the Italian city of Camaldoli.

Before beginning his speech at the event, organised by the Benedictines, the Cardinal recalled the escalation of violence in Israel after Hamas militants carried out a surprise attack on Saturday.

"Our thoughts are with what is happening in the Middle East, in Israel, Palestine, and the Gaza Strip," said Cardinal Parolin.

He recalled Pope Francis' appeal for peace, delivered at the Sunday Angelus prayer, saying it has been repeated by "nearly every government in the world calling for an end to the violence."

Lamenting the current situation in the Middle East, the Cardinal said, "These events further endanger the fragile hopes for peace that seemed to be on the horizon, even with the agreement with Saudi Arabia."

"Beyond the diplomatic efforts that don't seem to be having much effect - and I say this also in reference to the war in Ukraine - we must all unite in a choral prayer for peace," said Cardinal Parolin.

"We don't know how this will develop and how it will end. What is happening is beyond imagination..."

Cardinal Parolin also remarked that "the world seems to have gone mad."

"It seems that we are relying only on force, on violence, on conflict, to resolve problems that are there, real, and that must be resolved with completely different methods," he said.

"In addition to the destruction of human lives, which we have witnessed with horror, the fragile hopes for peace that seemed to be on the horizon are going up in smoke," said the Cardinal.

In order to prevent similar circumstances from occurring again, the Vatican Secretary of State called for international efforts to seek a peaceful solution, calling it the only just and practical course of action that can prevent such a recurrence of violence.

Appealing to Europe and its role in seeking peace, Cardinal Parolin said, "Europe was established precisely as a fundamental experiment in peace after the great tragedies of the twentieth century, not only internally but also externally."

Cardinal Parolin also noted that the issues facing the European Union make it difficult for the EU to assume the peacemaker role it ought to play in the world.

"We hope that it will regain this role and this dimension," he said. "But I don't see it so clearly."