Pope Leo has been invited to join the Board of Peace established by President Donald Trump to oversee the second phase of his Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, a Vatican official confirmed Jan. 21.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, announced the invitation while speaking with reporters in Rome, saying the Pope has not yet decided how to respond, according to The European Conservative.
“We have received this invitation, and the Pope has received it, and we are considering what to do,” Cardinal Parolin said. “I believe it is a question that requires some time for reflection before giving a response.”
The Trump administration said the Board of Peace will provide strategic oversight for postwar governance, security, and reconstruction efforts in Gaza.
Pope Leo has repeatedly expressed concern over the Gaza conflict since his election, focusing on Palestinian humanitarian suffering and urging peace.
In his first Regina Coeli address in May 2025, he said he was "deeply pained" by events in Gaza and called for an immediate ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian aid, and the release of hostages.
In September 2025, he voiced his "deepest sympathy" for Palestinians in Gaza living in "unacceptable conditions" and driven from their homes. He declared there is "no future based on violence, forced exile, or vengeance."
In his Christmas 2025 messages, he spoke of Palestinian refugees in tents exposed to harsh weather amid war's "rubble and open wounds." He also advocated for civilian protection and denounced collective punishment.
Most recently, the Pope warned in his Jan. 9 address to the Vatican’s diplomatic corps that “war is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading.”
Is Pope Leo likely to join the Board of Peace?
In a 2002 lecture at the Catholic University of America, former Vatican secretary for foreign relations Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran said popes do not usually join secular-led external boards or committees. The avoidance of such participation is meant to preserve the Holy See’s independence and neutrality.
While the Holy See participates in international bodies like the United Nations, the Pope himself does not personally serve on these bodies. Popes have mediatedconflicts, attended interfaith summits, and promoted peace via their own pastoral and diplomatic efforts, but there are no known instances of popes doing so as formal members of secular external committees.