Vatican finally responds to Trump's invitation for Pope Leo to join Board of Peace

The Vatican's top diplomat says Pope Leo XIV will not be accepting President Donald Trump's invitation to the Board of Peace intended to broker peace in Gaza.

The initiative already includes leaders from 26 countries, including Argentina, Hungary, Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Others have expressed interest in joining.

'Of course the administration wants all those who were invited to join the Board of Peace to join.'

The president extended an invitation to the pope last month, according to a statement from the Vatican's top diplomatic official, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

He said at the time that they were considering the invitation, but on Tuesday Parolin said the pope would not participate in the board.

"One concern is that at the international level it should above all be the [United Nations] that manages these crisis situations. This is one of the points on which we have insisted," Parolin said.

Parolin previously expressed that the Vatican would not be able to contribute financially, as is required of other states participating in the initiative.

"We are not even in a position to do that," he said. "However, evidently we find ourselves in a different situation with respect to other countries, so it will be a different consideration, but I think the request will not be to participate financially."

The White House called the decision "deeply unfortunate" in a media briefing Wednesday.

"I don't think that peace should be partisan or political or controversial. And of course the administration wants all those who were invited to join the Board of Peace to join," press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

"This is a legitimate organization where there are tens of member countries from around the world," she added.

The board includes the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Trump heads the initiative.

The Board of Peace was established as part of a 20-point proposal developed by the White House that included demilitarizing and rebuilding Gaza. The plan was announced in a media briefing with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Sept. 2025.

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"This is the closest we've ever come to real peace," Trump said. "Not fake peace. Not political fools' peace."

"This can be done the easy way, or it can be done the hard way," Netanyahu said at the time. "But it will be done. We prefer the easy way, but it has to be done."

"If Hamas rejects the deal, Bibi, you will have our full backing to do what you have to do," the president responded.

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