By Staff, Agencies

The Vatican has refused to join US President Donald Trump’s proposed so-called "Board of Peace", stepping back from a US-led initiative aimed at Gaza’s reconstruction—a plan widely criticized for excluding Palestinian voices and potentially expanding into broader conflict control.

Speaking on Tuesday, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s chief diplomat, made it clear that the Vatican would not join the initiative. "The Holy See will not participate in the Board of Peace because of its particular nature, which is evidently not that of other States," Parolin said.

He stressed that international crises should be handled within established multilateral institutions. "One concern," he said, "is that at the international level it should above all be the UN that manages these crisis situations. This is one of the points on which we have insisted."

Trump’s so-called "Board of Peace", launched after October’s Gaza ceasefire to oversee reconstruction and broader conflict management, has invited 60 countries, with membership tied to costly contributions.

While Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Indonesia, Hungary, and the "Israeli" occupation entity have agreed to join, Western allies like Italy, the EU, and Poland remain hesitant. Trump will chair the body, which has raised concerns over sidelining Palestinian voices and militarized "stabilization" efforts.

Trump’s plan is widely condemned as a colonial-style plan that excludes Palestinians and undermines the UN. Gaza remains devastated, with over 72,000 Palestinians killed, widespread destruction, and calls for accountability mounting.

Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV, head of 1.4 billion Catholics and the first American pope, has repeatedly denounced Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. Though invited to join Trump’s board, the Vatican declined, maintaining its neutral role as a UN observer and avoiding entanglement in US-led governance schemes.