Vatican to not participate in Trump's Peace Council

The Vatican has refused to participate in the Peace Council, to which it was invited by US President Donald Trump, the Holy See’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said on Wednesday, Vatican News reported.

"The Holy See will not participate in the Peace Council because of its particular nature, which is obviously different from that of other states… However, we take into account that Italy will participate as an observer," Parolin said, on the sidelines of a bilateral meeting in Rome with the Italian government.

According to the cardinal, the Vatican "takes note" of the choice made by the Italian government to join, but he also sees "some critical points that must be resolved." "One of the problems is that at the international level, it is the UN that manages these crises: this is one of the points on which we insisted," Parolin said.

The creation of the Peace Council was part of Trump’s proposed plan to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip. Its formation was announced in January 2026.

About 60 world leaders have been invited to the Council, some as founding members. Trump became the first chairman of the Peace Council.

The Peace Council’s founding ceremony took place on January 22 in Davos.