VATICAN CITY, February 14, 2025 (WAFA) – The Vatican's Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, has strongly criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza and seize control of the territory. This marks the second sharp rebuke from a senior Catholic official against Trump’s policies this week.

Parolin emphasized that Palestinians must be allowed to remain on their land and rejected any form of displacement, describing it as a fundamental principle.

The Vatican’s official news agency reported that the Cardinal stressed the importance of allowing those born and raised in Gaza to remain on their land, reaffirming the Holy See’s longstanding position that a two-state solution is essential for resolving the conflict.

His remarks came just two days after Pope Francis issued an extraordinary open letter, fiercely criticizing Trump’s administration. The Pope declared, “What is built on power rather than on the truth that all humans are equal in dignity begins in failure and will fail.”

Trump’s proposal to permanently resettle Palestinians outside Gaza, which he framed as a means to transform the enclave into a U.S.-controlled coastal resort, has drawn widespread condemnation across the Arab world and deep concern among European powers.

T.R.