US EditionTop Vatican Cardinal Urges Trump, Israel to End War 'as Soon as Possible'
Cardinal Pietro Parolin urged peaceful diplomacy to end the Iran conflict and called on Israel to stop strikes on Lebanon to prevent further escalation.
- On March 18, 2026, Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, urged President Donald Trump to end the Iran war and suggested Israel stop strikes against Lebanon, Reuters reported from Rome.
- Known for speaking in muted tones, Vatican diplomats usually avoid direct appeals, making this intervention by the Vatican Secretary of State notable.
- Using unusually direct language, Parolin told journalists 'I would say to finish it as soon as possible...and to leave alone Lebanon,' and urged 'to resolve problems...through the peaceful ways of diplomacy and dialogue.'
- He warned the fighting could keep escalating, expressing concern Wednesday about escalation and on Monday urging journalists to highlight suffering while avoiding propaganda.
- Looking at the wider picture, recent strikes, including a March 16 Tehran attack, highlight visible damage and the urgency of diplomatic calls, Reuters reported.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Top Vatican cardinal urges Trump, Israel to end war ’as soon as possible’
The Vatican's top diplomat on Wednesday called on U.S. President Donald Trump to end the expanding Iran war as soon as possible and suggested Israel should also stop its strikes against Lebanon. "I would say to finish it as soon as possible ... and to leave alone Lebanon," Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, a senior advisor to the American Pope Leo, said in an unusually direct appeal. "This message goes also to the Israelis," he added, speaking to…
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GMA Filipino NewsTop Vatican cardinal urges Trump, Israel to end war ‘as soon as possible’
Papal diplomats do not usually make direct appeals for action by foreign leaders
Cardinal Parolin to Trump, Israel: End the war as soon as possible
Responding to questions by journalists on the sidelines of a book presentation, Cardinal Pietro Parolin shares what we would say if face-to-face with U.S. President Trump: "Put an end to it as soon as possible because the real danger is that an escalation is just around the corner." Read all
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