VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Leo XIV’s key adviser and the Vatican’s secretary of state, described the deadly shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis as “unacceptable,” as a growing number of Catholic prelates in the United States have spoken against immigration enforcement operations in the country.
“The Holy See’s position is always that of avoiding any type of violence, obviously, so we cannot accept episodes such as these,” Parolin told journalists on Wednesday (Jan. 28) as he left a conference titled “Ethics and Economics,” organized by the LUMSA University in Rome.
Two U.S. citizens were killed by immigration enforcement agents in Minneapolis this month, leading some bishops in the country to issue appeals for restraint and respect for human dignity. Catholics on the ground have also mobilized and organized vigils, Masses and gatherings to condemn the killings.
“Issues, problems, contradictions should be resolved in other ways,” said Parolin, echoing the statements of several prelates in the U.S.
In November, Pope Leo spoke against the “vilification” of migrants, adding that there are legal and judicial means to address the presence of people living in the U.S. illegally. But the Chicago-born pope has not spoken out specifically against Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents or the recent Minneapolis incidents.
Pope Leo XIV and Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, left, leave the Quirinale Presidential Palace in Rome, Oct. 14, …