Pope Leo XIV is carefully evaluating an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump, dated January 21, 2026, to join the newly proposed international “Board of Peace,” Vatican officials have confirmed. The invitation, extended to a range of world leaders and institutions, aims to broaden diplomatic engagement on conflict resolution, beginning with the Gaza crisis and expanding to other global disputes. Cardinal Parolin Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, told journalists that the Pope has received the invitation but is “considering what to do” and that the matter will

Pope Leo XIV is carefully evaluating an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump, dated January 21, 2026, to join the newly proposed international “Board of Peace,” Vatican officials have confirmed. The invitation, extended to a range of world leaders and institutions, aims to broaden diplomatic engagement on conflict resolution, beginning with the Gaza crisis and expanding to other global disputes.

Cardinal Parolin

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, told journalists that the Pope has received the invitation but is “considering what to do” and that the matter will require deliberate reflection before a formal response is issued.

The membership fee to join the Board of Peace reportedly costs $1 billion ( World Ecomomic Forum )

The initiative has already attracted acceptance from several countries, including Israel and Egypt, although some diplomatic circles have expressed caution. Critics argue that the board’s activities could unintentionally undermine the United Nations’ established peacekeeping frameworks.

Pope Leo XIV during a public audience at the Vatican.

Pope Leo, the first U.S.-born pontiff, has a history of engaging with humanitarian and peace efforts, but the Vatican traditionally refrains from joining political boards or advisory councils. Instead, the Holy See prefers to use its own diplomatic channels and its permanent observer status at the United Nations for international engagement. As the Vatican weighs its decision, observers say the Pope’s acceptance or decline could signal broader dynamics in global diplomacy and religious involvement in geopolitical peace efforts. Source: The Independent

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