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‘Peace is only possible if it is wanted,’ Cardinal Parolin tells U.N. assembly

NEW YORK — Amid ongoing and potentially escalating conflict in both the Middle East and Ukraine, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin cautioned gathered delegates at the 79th session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York Sept. 28 that, “peace is only possible if it is wanted.” Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) — an independent organization collecting data on violent conflict — estimates that one in seven people globally have been exposed to conflict so far in 2024. ACLED also reported a 15% increase in political violence incidents during the last 12 months, a development that Cardinal Parolin said has left the Holy See “deeply concerned.” The Holy See has permanent observer status at the United Nations, with 2024 marking the 60th anniversary of its presence at the organization tasked with maintaining international peace and security. During that time, Cardinal Parolin declared that “the Holy See has advanced a set of core principles, including the respect for the inherent God-given human dignity of all individuals, the equal sovereignty of states, the pursuit of peace and disarmament and the care of our common home.” (OSV News)