Pietro Parolin (, ; born 17 January 1955) is an
Italian Catholic prelate who has served as the
Vatican
Vatican may refer to:
Geography
* Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy
* Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City
* Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome
* Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...
's
Secretary of State since 2013, and has served as a member of the
Council of Cardinals since 2014, the same year he was made a
cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to
* Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae
***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...
.
Before his tenure as secretary of state, Parolin worked in the diplomatic service of the
Holy See
The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...
for 30 years, where his assignments included terms in Nigeria, Mexico and Venezuela, as well as more than six years as
Undersecretary of State for Relations with States. Parolin set the Vatican's foreign policy stances under
Pope Francis
Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...
. Parolin was one of the primary architects of the Vatican's
2018 agreement with China, which allows the pope to approve and veto bishops approved by the
Chinese Communist Party
The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...
. During the
2025 papal conclave
A conclave was held on 7 and 8 May 2025 to elect a new pope to succeed Pope Francis, Francis, who had died on 21 April 2025. Of the 135 eligible Cardinal electors in the 2025 papal conclave, cardinal electors, all but two attended. Cardinal Piet ...
, over which he presided as the senior voting
cardinal bishop
A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. As titular members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, they serve as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. C ...
, Parolin was considered ''
papabile
( , , ; plural: ; ) is an unofficial Italian term coined by Vaticanologists and used internationally in many languages to describe a Catholic man—in practice, always a cardinal—who is thought of as a likely or possible candidate to be ...
'', a leading candidate to succeed Francis.
Early life
Parolin was born in
Schiavon,
Province of Vicenza
The province of Vicenza (; ) is a province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital city is Vicenza.
The province has an area of 2,722.53 km2, and a total population of 865,082 (as of 2017). There are 113 ''comuni'' (municipalities) in th ...
, the son of a
hardware store
Hardware stores (in a number of countries, "shops"), sometimes known as DIY stores, sell household hardware for home improvement including: fasteners, building materials, hand tools, power tools, keys, locks, hinges, chains, plumbing ...
manager, Luigi Parolin (1921–1965), and an elementary school teacher, Ada Miotti (1928–2024).
He has one sister and a brother. When he was ten years old, his father died in a car accident.
After he was ordained on 27 April 1980, he took up graduate studies in
canon law
Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...
at the
Pontifical Gregorian University
Pontifical Gregorian University (; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana), is a private university, private pontifical university in Rome, Italy.
The Gregorian originated as a part of the Roman College, founded in 1551 by Ignatius of Loyo ...
and in
diplomacy
Diplomacy is the communication by representatives of State (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, non-governmental institutions intended to influence events in the international syste ...
at the
Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. He entered the
Holy See
The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...
's diplomatic service in 1986 at the age of 31. He served for three years in the Nunciature of Nigeria where he became familiar with the problems in Christian–Muslim relations.
At the
Nunciature of Mexico from 1989 to 1992, Parolin contributed to the final phase of the work begun by Archbishop
Girolamo Prigione which led to the legal recognition of the Catholic Church in 1992 and the establishment of
diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Mexico after 130 years. These negotiations led to Mexico officially shedding the country's secular and anti-clerical imprint, which extended to its
Constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed.
When these pri ...
.
Working in Rome, he was country director for
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
,
Andorra
Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a Sovereignty, sovereign landlocked country on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees in Southwestern Europe, Andorra–France border, bordered by France to the north and Spain to A ...
,
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, and
San Marino
San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is a landlocked country in Southern Europe, completely surrounded by Italy. Located on the northeastern slopes of the Apennine Mountains, it is the larger of two European microstates, microsta ...
.
Since 2000 he has worked with the then-Bishop
Attilio Nicora on the implementation of the revision of the Lateran Concordat of 1984, with particular reference to the Italian military ordinariate.
Undersecretary of State for Relations with States
Parolin was Undersecretary of State for Relations with States from 30 November 2002 to 17 August 2009. Parolin has also been at the forefront of Vatican efforts to approve and implement the
Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT, is an international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperatio ...
(NPT). Addressing the
International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology, nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was ...
on 18 September 2006, at its headquarters in
Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
, Parolin referred to this treaty as "the basis to pursue
nuclear disarmament
Nuclear disarmament is the act of reducing or eliminating nuclear weapons. Its end state can also be a nuclear-weapons-free world, in which nuclear weapons are completely eliminated. The term ''denuclearization'' is also used to describe the pro ...
and an important element for further development of nuclear energy applications for peaceful purposes." He said: "Since this treaty is the only multilateral legal instrument currently available, intended to bring about a nuclear weapons-free world, it must not be allowed to be weakened. Humanity deserves no less than the full cooperation of all states in this important matter." Concerning international negotiations with respect to
Iran's nuclear program
The Nuclear technology, nuclear program of Iran is one of the most scrutinized nuclear programs in the world. The military capabilities of the program are possible through its mass Enriched uranium, enrichment activities in facilities such a ...
, he said "that the present difficulties can and must be overcome through diplomatic channels, making use of all the means that diplomacy has at its disposal and considers necessary to eliminate all the elements which objectively impede mutual trust."
In September 2007, at the opening of the UN, Parolin argued, "We often hear in the halls of the United Nations of 'the responsibility to protect'. The Holy See believes that applies also in the context of climate change. States have a shared 'responsibility to protect' the world's climate through mitigation/adaptation, and above all a shared 'responsibility to protect' our planet and ensure that present and future generations be able to live in a healthy and safe environment." Parolin represented the Vatican in a variety of sensitive assignments, including trips to North Korea and Vietnam as well as the 2007 Annapolis Conference on the Middle East convened by the Bush administration to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
As the Vatican's "deputy foreign minister", Parolin dealt with all the sensitive dossiers on the Holy See's relations with Vietnam (he was partly responsible for paving the way to full diplomatic relations between the two) and the legal issues between the Vatican and Israel which remain unresolved. At the beginning of Pope Benedict's pontificate, direct contact was re-established with China.
During his time as undersecretary, Parolin scored some significant breakthroughs, such as cementing ties between the Holy See and Vietnam, re-establishing direct contact with Beijing in 2005 and helping secure the liberation of 15 British navy personnel captured by Iranian forces in the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
in April 2007.
Nuncio
On 17 August 2009,
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...
appointed Parolin
Titular Archbishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.
By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...
of
Aquipendium and
Apostolic Nuncio to Venezuela. He was consecrated a bishop on 12 September 2009 by Benedict XVI, with
Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone and
William Cardinal Levada as co-consecrators. The Venezuela assignment was expected to be difficult, since conflicts between the State and the
Church in Venezuela were on the rise as President
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (; ; 28 July 1954 – 5 March 2013) was a Venezuelan politician, Bolivarian Revolution, revolutionary, and Officer (armed forces), military officer who served as the 52nd president of Venezuela from 1999 until De ...
attempted to advance his socialist revolution.
Secretary of State

On 31 August 2013,
Pope Francis
Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...
appointed Parolin
Secretary of State, replacing Cardinal
Tarcisio Bertone
Tarcisio Pietro Evasio Bertone (born 2 December 1934) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church and a Vatican City, Vatican diplomat. A Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal since 2003, he served as Archbishop of Vercelli from 1991 to 1995, as S ...
. Parolin took office on 15 October.
At 58, Parolin became the youngest Secretary of State since 1929, when Cardinal
Eugenio Pacelli (later Pope Pius XII) was appointed to the position at the age of 53. He said: "The pope's initiatives have given the secretary of state an impetus and have also created a new diplomatic momentum." When asked if he would be spearheading a new diplomatic offensive for peace, he noted that it was a complicated question but said, "Yes, I hope that we can recoup" that drive. "We have this great advantage in respect to other churches, to other religions: We can count on an international institutional presence through diplomacy," he said.
On 16 December, Parolin was named to a five-year renewable term as a member of the
Congregation for Bishops. On 19 February 2014 he was appointed a member of the
Congregation for the Oriental Churches. Parolin became Francis' first cardinal when he was made
Cardinal-Priest
A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. As titular members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, they serve as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. ...
of
Santi Simone e Giuda Taddeo a Torre Angela at a papal general consistory on 22 February 2014. He attended meetings of the
Council of Cardinal Advisers
The Council of Cardinals (, , ; also called C9 because it contained nine cardinal members for a time) or Council of Cardinal Advisers is a group of cardinals of the Catholic Church appointed by Pope Francis to serve as his advisers. The counci ...
on a regular basis and in July 2014 became the council's ninth member.
In 2014, Venezuela's President
Nicolas Maduro invited Parolin to mediate talks between his government and opposition in hopes of stemming violence that killed dozens in the
nation's worst unrest in a decade. He asked that Parolin, a former nuncio to Venezuela, be named a "good faith witness" to a dialogue the parties had agreed upon after two months of protests. Venezuela's opposition coalition had indicated that current nuncio, Archbishop Aldo Giordano, would be attending the first formal talks. Henrique Capriles, the opposition's two-time presidential candidate who narrowly lost an election to Maduro the year before, confirmed he would take part in the discussions.
In December 2014, Parolin asked the United States to find an "adequate humanitarian solution" for prisoners held at the
Guantanamo Bay detention camp
The Guantanamo Bay detention camp, also known as GTMO ( ), GITMO ( ), or simply Guantanamo Bay, is a United States military prison within Naval Station Guantanamo Bay (NSGB), on the coast of Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. It was established in 2002 by p ...
, a reflection of Pope Francis' concern that prisoners be treated with dignity and not be subject to inhumane treatment. Parolin made the request during a Vatican meeting with US Secretary of State
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...
. The Vatican said they discussed the US commitment to closing the facility and that Parolin expressed the Holy See's desire that "favourable attention be paid to finding adequate humanitarian solutions for current inmates".
The Holy See was credited with playing a major role in the reestablishment of
Cuba–US relations. Parolin moderated the October 2014 meeting between Cuban and US officials as their negotiations neared an agreement. In 2015, Parolin was asked whether the normalization of Cuba–US relations pointed toward a new "golden age" of Vatican diplomacy. He said that "the president of the United States has already thanked the Pope for the support he has given to this important step" and said: "Holy See diplomacy is always there, to help to build bridges". Parolin also said the Holy See's diplomacy "is now more active…(not only) waiting, but also proposing (solutions for peace), since there are so many conflicts."
Parolin called for an intervention in Libya to stop a possible alliance between the country's Islamic government and the Islamic State. Parolin spoke about the chaos there after
ISIS beheaded 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians, describing the incident as "terrifying" and the situation "grave". He stressed the need for "a quick response". Parolin added that "any armed intervention must be carried forward under the framework of international law" and "under the umbrella of the United Nations".
In May 2015, after the passage of the
Marriage Equality Referendum in Ireland, which extended marriage rights to same-sex couples, Parolin said: "I was very saddened by this result. I don't think we can speak only about a defeat for Christian principles, but a defeat for humanity." In June 2015, he visited
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...
to inaugurate Saint Paul's Church in Musaffah, the city's second Catholic parish.
Parolin has stressed the importance of continuity. He believes Pope Francis simply tried to guide the church to be the church of Christ and rejected the idea that Francis was starting a revolution. Parolin defends the importance of unchangeable dogmas and asserts the relevance of sacred tradition. He has described celibacy as a discipline that could be changed, but cannot simply be dismissed as outdated. In a keynote speech at the
Pontifical Gregorian University
Pontifical Gregorian University (; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana), is a private university, private pontifical university in Rome, Italy.
The Gregorian originated as a part of the Roman College, founded in 1551 by Ignatius of Loyo ...
in February 2016, Parolin defended celibacy as a "gift" that must be received and nurtured with "joyful perseverance" and criticized the suggestion that the shortage of vocations be addressed by modifying the requirement of priestly celibacy.

In May 2016, Parolin visited Estonia to mark the 25th anniversary of the reintroduction of diplomatic relations between Estonia and the Holy See. He spoke at the University of Tartu on the precise meaning of their international relations. Parolin was appointed a member of the
in October 2016. Following the resignation of Marie Collins from the
Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors
The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors is a pontifical commission within the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church instituted by Pope Francis on 22 March 2014 as an advisory agency serving the pope. Since 5 June 2022, the Commission ...
, Parolin said she quit because she wanted to "shake the tree" in the Vatican. Collins said some members of the Church's administration, the
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia () comprises the administrative institutions of the Holy See and the central body through which the affairs of the Catholic Church are conducted. The Roman Curia is the institution of which the Roman Pontiff ordinarily makes use ...
, have hindered and blocked the commission's efforts, naming the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is a department of the Roman Curia in charge of the religious discipline of the Catholic Church. The Dicastery is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of t ...
. Parolin called the lack of cooperation from some Vatican offices "shameful".
Parolin told Italy's ''La Stampa'' the flow of migrants and refugees into Europe is testing "the spirit of solidarity and subsidiarity" of the European Union, and acknowledged the large number of people fleeing to the continent poses a security problem. "Terrorism certainly finds fertile ground in poverty, lack of jobs, and social marginalization", he said, adding that since World War II, Europe has tried to "free itself" from its cultural heritage and values, and this has created a vacuum in which young people cannot find the answers to their existential questions. In 2017, Parolin became the Vatican's first Secretary of State in 19 years to visit
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
.

In a 2018 interview, Cardinal
Joseph Zen said "Pope Francis does not know the real Communist Party in China, but Parolin should know. He was there
n the Secretariat of Stateso many years, so he must know. He may be happy to encourage the pope to be optimistic about the negotiations ... but that's dangerous. Pope Francis needs someone to calm him down from his enthusiasm." He added that "It seems the Secretary of State wants to have a solution anyway. He is so optimistic. That's dangerous. I told the pope that he
arolinhas a poisoned mind. He is very sweet, but I have no trust in this person. He believes in diplomacy, not in our faith." Parolin countered that "no personal point of view can be considered as an exclusive interpreter of what is good for Chinese Catholics" and said: "If someone is asked to make a sacrifice, small or great, it must be clear to everyone that this is not the price of a political exchange, but falls within the evangelical perspective of a greater good, the good of the Church of Christ."
Pope Francis raised him to the rank of
Cardinal Bishop
A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. As titular members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, they serve as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. C ...
effective 28 June 2018. In October 2018, Parolin said that Paul VI had rejected a version of ''Humane Vitae'' that "was limited to a rigorous reaffirmation of doctrine to which Christians and all people were asked to adhere docilely and without reservation". Post-publication debates, Parolin said, made it impossible for many people to see its accent on mercy.
In 2019, Parolin defended the Holy See–China agreement on the appointment of bishops. On 3 April, Parolin told journalists, "We signed this agreement to help advance religious freedom, to find normalization for the Catholic community there, and then for all other religions to have space and a role to play in society which is recognized."
Steve Bannon
Stephen Kevin Bannon (born November 27, 1953) is an American media executive, political strategist, and former investment banker. He served as the White House's chief strategist for the first seven months of president Donald Trump's first ...
said that he might lead a lawsuit to compel the Holy See to release the text of the deal under the terms of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Earlier in 2015, Parolin was ''ex officio'' a member of the Commission of Cardinals of the
Institute for the Works of Religion
An institute is an organizational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body.
In some countries, institutes ca ...
. On 21 September 2020, at the end of its five-year mandate, a new board makeup was announced, omitting the Secretary of State, thus Pope Francis did not confirm Parolin in the role. On 15 October 2020, he confirmed Parolin's membership of the Council of Cardinals.
Following the
Taliban
, leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders
, leader1_name = {{indented plainlist,
* Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013)
* Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016)
* Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...
victory in Afghanistan in August 2021, Pope Francis appointed Parolin to engage in talks with the Taliban in order to discourage them from taking reprisal measures on civilians who worked with the coalition. A communiqué from Parolin on the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
, without naming Vladimir Putin, said that while the worst-case scenario was unfolding, "there is still time for goodwill, there is still room for negotiation, there is still room to exercise a wisdom that prevents partisan interests from prevailing, that protects the legitimate aspirations of all and spares the world the folly and horrors of war". The previous day Pope Francis had urged politicians to make an exercise of conscience before God for their actions over Ukraine, and declared 2 March, Ash Wednesday, as an international day of fasting and prayer for peace. In May 2022, Parolin stated that supplying weapons to Ukraine to help it defend itself is morally legitimate, "There is a right to armed defence in the case of aggression." He attended the
coronation of the British King Charles III and Queen Camilla on 6 May 2023, representing Pope Francis.
In 2023, Parolin said there was a need for dialogue with the German bishops
after a recent vote in favour of blessing same-sex unions, insisting that the move does not align with official Catholic doctrine. Parolin said, "A local, particular church cannot make a decision like that which involves the discipline of the Universal Church. There must certainly be a discussion with Rome and the rest of the Churches in the world ... to clarify what are the decisions to make." In July 2023, he visited Armenia and Azerbaijan to promote peace talks between the two states. He participated in the
Global Faith Leaders COP28 Summit in
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...
on 6–7 November 2023, and read the Pope's climate change statement at
COP28 on his behalf as the pope was unable to attend due to ill health.
Parolin was repeatedly referred to as ''
papabile
( , , ; plural: ; ) is an unofficial Italian term coined by Vaticanologists and used internationally in many languages to describe a Catholic man—in practice, always a cardinal—who is thought of as a likely or possible candidate to be ...
'', and was widely considered a favorite candidate to succeed Francis as Pope. He was a
cardinal elector and presided over the
2025 papal conclave
A conclave was held on 7 and 8 May 2025 to elect a new pope to succeed Pope Francis, Francis, who had died on 21 April 2025. Of the 135 eligible Cardinal electors in the 2025 papal conclave, cardinal electors, all but two attended. Cardinal Piet ...
held after the passing of Pope Francis. Entering the conclave, he was seen by the media and betting markets as one of the favorites to take the papacy. According to the Italian media after the conclave, his candidacy faltered when his vote count stagnated between 40–50 votes, well short of the 89 votes required to achieve the two-thirds supermajority needed to become pope. The conclave ultimately elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States and Peru as the new Pope, taking the name
Pope Leo XIV
Pope Leo XIV (born Robert Francis Prevost, September 14, 1955) has been head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State since May 2025. He is the first pope to have been born in the United States and North America, the fir ...
. As the most senior cardinal bishop present in the room, Cardinal Parolin carried out the duty of asking the Pope-elect if he would accept the papacy and what his papal name would be.
Personal life
Parolin speaks his native
Venetian and Italian, and is also fluent in English, French, and Spanish.
Positions
Foreign policy
Parolin visited Ukraine to close a popular Marian pilgrimage, and met with civil and ecclesial authorities amid the Holy See's continued push for peace. Parolin's 19–24 July trip was his first official visit since the Russia invasion of Ukraine. At
COP 29 in November 2024, Colombia's environment minister said that Parolin had aligned with Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, and Egypt to obstruct a deal which would have provided support, including financial help, for women at the forefront of climate change. In February 2025, when the
pope's health worsened, Parolin rejected rumours that Pope Francis would resign. In 2025, Parolin, along with Archbishop
Paul Gallagher met
JD Vance
James David Vance (born James Donald Bowman, August2, 1984) is an American politician, author, attorney, and Marine Corps veteran who is the 50th vice president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republic ...
for "an exchange of opinions on the international situation, especially regarding countries affected by war, political tensions and difficult humanitarian situations, with particular attention to migrants, refugees, and prisoners".
Arab-Israeli conflict
Positions taken by Parolin include denouncing
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
and its
actions in Gaza, calling for a halt in
war crimes
A war crime is a violation of the laws of war that gives rise to individual criminal responsibility for actions by combatants in action, such as intentionally killing civilians or intentionally killing prisoners of war, torture, taking hos ...
and protection of citizens. He criticized
Donald Trump's Gaza Strip proposal, saying that "whoever was born and has lived in Gaza must remain on their land".
Parolin maintains the traditional views of the Church
regarding Zionism and support for a
two-state solution
The two-state solution is a proposed approach to resolving the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, by creating two states on the territory of the former Mandatory Palestine. It is often contrasted with the one-state solution, which is the esta ...
. In February 2024, Cardinal Parolin told reporters that it was time for Israel to change its strategy in Gaza, how there are “other paths have to be found to resolve the problem of Gaza, the problem of Palestine.”
On February 13, 2024, he stated:
Israel's right to self-defense has been invoked to justify that this operation is proportional, but with 30,000 dead, it's not.
The Israeli Embassy to the Holy See called his remarks "a deplorable declaration".
China
Parolin is credited as responsible for a controversial and unpublished
Holy See-China agreement first reached in 2018, by which the Vatican recognizes the Communist Party-approved Church in China alongside the underground church, seems not to criticize control or persecution of Catholics, and is thought to enjoy final say over the appointment of bishops. He was pointedly criticized for the deal and accused of 'blatantly lying' about it and 'manipulating the Pope' by
Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong. When Zen was arrested in 2022, Parolin expressed sadness but reiterated his hope that the deal be renewed, and reiterated that hope again in 2024. Ahead of the 2025 conclave, Parolin's association with the China agreement was named as a likely obstacle to the possibility of him being elected Pope.
Euthanasia and living wills
Concerning
euthanasia
Euthanasia (from : + ) is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering.
Different countries have different Legality of euthanasia, euthanasia laws. The British House of Lords Select committee (United Kingdom), se ...
, he condemned the decision of countries to introduce it into their legal systems, stating that it is motivated by "
hubris
Hubris (; ), or less frequently hybris (), is extreme or excessive pride or dangerous overconfidence and complacency, often in combination with (or synonymous with) arrogance.
Hubris, arrogance, and pretension are related to the need for vi ...
", or "the violent arrogance of those who want to put themselves on a par with God" in deciding when to die. When
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
approved the law on living wills, he invoked
conscientious objection
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of conscience or religion. The term has also been extended to objecting to working for the military–indu ...
on certain points of the new legislation as legitimate and necessary.
Ecclesiastical celibacy
In an interview with the Venezuelan newspaper ''
El Universal'', he said he was open to revising the rule that requires celibacy for clergy of the
Latin rite: "Celibacy is not a
dogma
Dogma, in its broadest sense, is any belief held definitively and without the possibility of reform. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, or Islam ...
of the Church" and "can be discussed because it is an ecclesiastical tradition". "It is possible to talk and reflect on issues that are not defined by faith, and to consider certain changes, but always in the service of unity and always according to God's will."
Democracy in the Church
In the same interview, he addressed the issue of
democracy
Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...
in the Church: "Greater democratisation is certainly needed in the Church." "It has always been said that the Church is not a democracy. However, in these times there is a greater democratic spirit in the common feeling that must be listened to carefully, and I believe that the Pope has indicated this as a goal of his pontificate."
Same-sex marriage
In 2015, following the Irish citizens' approval of the referendum legalising same-sex marriage, the cardinal declared that the outcome of the vote was "a defeat for humanity", saying he was very saddened by what had happened.
Blessing of homosexuals
Following the promulgation of ''
Fiducia supplicans'' and protests from traditionalist Catholics and some bishops, particularly in Africa, he refused to comment on the legality of the document, limiting himself to saying that there has always been "change in the Church, the Church is open and attentive to the signs of the times but must be faithful to the Gospel."
Distinctions
* :
Knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity.
The concept of a knighthood ...
Grand Cross
Grand Cross is the highest class in many orders, and manifested in its insignia. Exceptionally, the highest class may be referred to as Grand Cordon or equivalent. In other cases, there may exist a rank even higher than Grand Cross, e.g. Gran ...
of the
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic () is the most senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of Italy, President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi.
The highest-ranking honour of the Republi ...
(2005)
* : Cross of the
Order of the Republic of Serbia (2015)
* :
Order of the Star of Romania
The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: ''Ordinul Steaua României'') is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the Order of Michael the Brave. It is the oldest Order of Romania. It is awarded by the Preside ...
* : Band of the
Order of the Aztec Eagle
The Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle () forms part of the Mexican Honors System and is the highest Mexican order awarded to foreigners.
History
It was created by decree on December 29, 1933, by President Abelardo L. Rodríguez as a reward to ...
(2014)
* :
Order of the Three Stars
Order of the Three Stars () is the highest civilian order awarded for meritorious service to Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of the founding of Latvia. Its motto is ''Per aspera ad astra'', meaning "Through hardships towards the ...
(2021)
See also
*
Cardinals created by Francis
Pope Francis () created cardinals at ten consistories held at roughly annual intervals beginning in 2014 and for the last time on 7 December 2024. The cardinals created by Francis include 163 cardinals from 76 countries, 25 of which had never been ...
References
;Additional sources
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External links
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Interview, Nuncio to Venezuela, 2013
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parolin, Pietro
1955 births
Apostolic nuncios to Venezuela
Cardinals created by Pope Francis
Cardinal Secretaries of State
21st-century Italian cardinals
21st-century Italian Roman Catholic titular archbishops
Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Living people
Members of the Congregation for Bishops
Members of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith
Members of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches
Members of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy alumni
Recipients of the Order of the Star of Romania
People from the Province of Vicenza
Schiavon
Bishops appointed by Pope Benedict XVI