Cardinal Parolin met with the Russian Foreign Minister

C. Rubini CTC, Vatican News

“We must always participate in dialogue, because always through dialogue we can change things,” Pope Francis said while speaking to reporters on a flight from Kazakhstan to Rome last week. He was talking about the diplomatic mission of the Holy See, especially Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday, provided further evidence of that guiding principle. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Cardinal Parolin calls for a ban on nuclear tests

Established in 2022 The cardinal also spoke at the 10th CTBT Friends meeting, which includes Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Japan and the Netherlands. On that occasion, he said, “As global tensions rise and we hear threatening talks about the use of nuclear weapons, it is more important than ever to bring the CTBT (Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty) into force. .”

Peace begins when weapons fall silent

Cardinal Parole’s statement echoes Pope Francis’ countless calls for disarmament. Even on Wednesday, during a public meeting, Pope Francis reiterated his closeness and support to the Ukrainian people. The Pope described them as “nobles and martyrs”.

Wondering how some people “think about nuclear weapons” in “this tragic war”, the Pope described it as “madness”.

The Pope also shared with those present the story of Cardinal Konrad Kraiowski, benefactor of the Pope’s sub-operations, who had recently returned from war-torn Ukraine.

“Cardinal Krajewski told me about the agony of these people, the horrors they were going through, the demonization and the tortured bodies they were finding,” the pope revealed.

“Let us not forget: Peace is only possible when weapons fall silent and dialogue begins!” Papa re-emphasized the only path ahead, indicating that