Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State (Prime Minister), described the situation in Gaza as a “massacre.”

Pope Leo XIV, the spiritual leader of Catholics and head of the Vatican City State, defended Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who was criticized by Israel for describing the events in Gaza as a “massacre,” affirming that he expressed the Vatican’s position.

The interview Cardinal Parolin gave on October 6 to the Vatican’s official newspapers “L’Osservatore Romano” and “Vatican News,” in which he discussed developments in the Middle East, sparked controversy between the Vatican and Israel.

Parolin emphasized in the interview that the situation in Gaza has become more dangerous and tragic over the past year.

He added: “Every day dozens, sometimes hundreds, of people are killed, including a large number of children who are innocent simply because they were born there. We face the risk of becoming accustomed to this massacre.”

These statements provoked angry reactions from the Israeli Embassy to the Vatican, which stated on social media that describing what is happening in Gaza as a “massacre” could hinder peace efforts.

Pope Leo XIV commented on the Israeli Embassy’s criticism when asked, saying: “The Cardinal well expressed the Vatican’s viewpoint. Peace must be sought.”

It is worth noting that the previous Pope Francis, who died on April 21, had drawn attention with his harsher statements regarding Israeli attacks on Gaza, while his successor Pope Leo XIV is seen as more cautious in making harsh statements.

After the Israeli occupation army bombed the Holy Family Church (Latin Monastery) north of Gaza on July 17, Cardinal Parolin stated at the time that he had good reasons to doubt Israel’s justification that the bombing was a “mistake,” while Pope Leo XIV called for “respecting humanitarian law rules” in Gaza.