Trump Invites Pope to Join Peace Commission for Gaza
President Donald Trump has reached out to Pope Leo XIV, inviting him to be part of a “peace commission” focusing on Gaza. A spokesperson from the Vatican mentioned they are currently evaluating how to respond to this invitation.
This charter aims to bring an end to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and already includes 17 countries, such as Argentina, Hungary, Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
On Wednesday, Vatican diplomatic official Cardinal Pietro Parolin confirmed the invitation from Trump. He expressed, “We have received the invitation from the Pope and are considering how to proceed. I think I’ll ponder this for a bit before giving an answer.”
Cardinal Parolin also noted that while participating countries will be asked to contribute financially, the Vatican isn’t in a position to do so. “We aren’t really able to contribute,” he said. “Our situation is different from that of other nations, so that will factor into our decision-making, but I doubt financial participation is the main focus here.”
On Thursday, world leaders participated in a signing ceremony for the Peace Charter, which took place during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Trump has also invited additional countries such as Russia, Belarus, France, Germany, Vietnam, Finland, and Ukraine to join.
The board will be led by Trump himself and include figures such as his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
The situation in Gaza escalated dramatically following the October 7 attack by Hamas, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 individuals and the kidnapping of more than 200 hostages, including several Americans. In response, Israel has launched a comprehensive military operation targeting the leadership of Hamas.
Many people have mixed feelings about Pope Leo, who is the first American-born pope. While he has his admirers due to his conservative views, some express concern that he may lean toward what are viewed as “woke” ideologies.
Reports indicate that it is “very unlikely” that the pope will accept the invitation to join the international board.
