Archbishop Gallagher, Secretary-General of the Vatican State Council for Relations with States and International Organizations, was interviewed by Italian newspaper La Stampa, talking about the Holy See’s diplomatic efforts for peace in Ukraine and the Holy See’s efforts to promote good relations between peoples and countries in the world mission.
(Vatican News Network)“The war in Ukraine will end at the negotiating table,” said Archbishop Gallagher, secretary general of the Vatican’s Department of Relations with States and International Organizations, referring to the words of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. For this reason, Archbishop Gallagher pointed out that the goal of the Holy See’s efforts is to bring the parties concerned “to the negotiating table quickly”.
The Secretary-General of the Vatican State Council for Relations with States and International Organizations expressed the above points in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Stampa. The interview was published in the daily on Wednesday, May 31. Regarding the current conflict in Ukraine, Archbishop Gallagher said that the Holy See understands the plight and suffering of the Ukrainian people, while also pointing out the complexity of the diplomatic situation. “We have to have a peace process in mind.”
Archbishop Gallagher says that since February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, Pope Francis has worked tirelessly for a peaceful resolution of the war. The Holy Father “constantly evaluates ideas and proposals that can help reduce tensions in the conflict in Ukraine and open the way to a just peace”. Asked about Italy’s Cardinal Zuppi’s upcoming mission to Ukraine and Russia, Archbishop Gallagher explained that the details of the mission were being worked out. “At the same time, we hoped and prayed for such a difficult mission, knowing that speed and timing are also very important.”
Relations with China and Iran
In addition, the archbishop was asked about the role of other countries in the conflict, especially Russia’s relations with China and Iran. Archbishop Gallagher replied: “The first thing to consider is the position of the Holy See, which is that it is up to each country, each actor to decide to take all possible actions to end the war. We encourage all parties to do so.”
As for human rights, Archbishop Gallagher noted that when the Holy See speaks about these issues, it is speaking to “the entire international community”. While certain statements will be particularly important on specific issues, the Holy See does not speak “in a provocative way”, but is willing to “keep the door open, even if the situation will be very difficult for us”. At the same time, the archbishop stated that the Holy See’s primary concern is “the well-being of the Christian and Catholic communities, their freedom and their lives”.
need to trust
At the end of the interview, a series of issues in Israel and Palestine are touched upon. Archbishop Gallagher expressed concern about the growing violence in the region. “We regret that this appears to be creating further obstacles in terms of improving the political situation.”
The archbishop insists that “more needs to be done to find greater political will” in order to find an effective compromise between the Palestinian and Israeli peoples. Archbishop Gallagher said: “I think that, as experience has taught us, most people would agree that we need political campaigns that consist of small steps, moves that build confidence, moves that earn trust. .What is lacking in the world today is a sense of trust among nations and leaders, and we need to cultivate that.”
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2023-06-02 12:54:30
