Cardinal Parolin and President Pezeshkian of Iran speak by phone
Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Iran’s new President, Masoud Pezeshkian, discuss issues of common interest in a phone call, with Cardinal Parolin expressing the Holy See’s deep concern about the risk of an extension of the war in the Middle East.
By Vatican News
On Monday morning, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, had a telephone conversation with Masoud Pezeshkian, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In a statement to journalists, the director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, said that Cardinal Parolin congratulated the new president on the start of his term, saying they discussed issues of common interest.
Cardinal Parolin expressed the Holy See’s deep concern for what is happening in the Middle East, reiterating the need to avoid, by all possible means, the widening of the very serious ongoing conflict and to prefer every effort at dialogue, negotiation and peace.
Pope Francis’ appeals
Pope Francis has regularly called for dialogue, peace and every effort to help those who are suffering.
At the end of last Wednesday’s general audience, the Pope said he was following the situation in the Middle East with great concern, and he reiterated his appeal to all parties concerned to ensure that the conflict does not spread.
“Let there be an immediate ceasefire on all fronts, starting with Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is very serious and untenable,” he said, offering his prayers “that the sincere search for peace will extinguish conflicts, that love will triumph over hatred and that vengeance will be disarmed by forgiveness.”
