After horrific terrorist attacks in Paris, Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin told a French daily that the threat of violence against the Vatican will not affect the Pope's schedule.
He conceded that while the Vatican will be particularly vulnerable during the upcoming Jubilee of Mercy, they refuse to let fear win out. No changes have been made to the Pope's schedule in the near future.
Parolin added that Muslims should contribute to solutions against terrorism and that hatred can be combated with educating the young. He called on all social actors to become involved. The Jubilee of Mercy will be particularly important now, he explained, because it provides a message of reconciliation in the context of such terrible violence.
In previous interviews, he has suggested that peace will be achieved by embracing our differences.
CARD. PIETRO PAROLIN
Vatican Secretary of State
March 2015
'I think it is essential now to accept our differences. The problem is this, how to reconcile the differences we have on culture and religion and continue to grow. How to create a time of mutual enrichment and grow together and not have misunderstandings and violence.â?
Reports have also spread that Pope Francis may have to cancel his upcoming trip to the Central African Republic because of security concerns. But Parolin confirmed to Vatican Radio that, for the moment, the Pope still intends to visit the war-torn country.
The United Nations recently approved sending 300 Senegalese peacekeepers to the Central African Republic. Their mission is to strengthen security ahead of the Pope's visit and elections in December.
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