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Vatican City (Fides News Agency) - The war in the Middle East is likely to expand more and more. Faced with this bleak scenario, papal diplomacy comes out into the open, taking new steps to avoid escalation. In the aftermath of the Pope's appeal in the Angelus prayer, the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, called the new president of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, on the telephone.
The cardinal, according to a statement released by the Holy See Press Office, congratulated the President - elected to head the Islamic Republic in early July - on the start of his mandate, which began on July 28th. In the phone call, "topics of common interest" were discussed, but above all Parolin "expressed the Holy See's serious concern about what is happening in the Middle East, reiterating the need to avoid at all costs the spread of this grave ongoing conflict, and favor dialogue, negotiation and peace instead".
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom, France and Germany are also moving to prevent Iran from attacking Israel. The three countries issued a joint statement that reads: "We are deeply concerned about the growing tensions in the region, and united in our commitment to de-escalation. We call on Iran and its allies to refrain from any attacks that would escalate tensions by jeopardizing the opportunity for a ceasefire and for the release of hostages. " (F.B.) (Fides News Agency 12/8/2024)
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