Vatican foreign minister warns vs. allowing 'conflicts' escalate to war

The visiting Vatican foreign minister in the Philippines on Friday warned against allowing "ongoing conflicts" to escalate and open the floodgates of a full-scale global war.

Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See, delivered the message during his address at the DFA's Foreign Service Institute (FSI) as part of his five-day official visit to Manila.

Gallagher shared the positions of Pope Francis and the Vatican on various critical issues facing the world today, including the Philippines. One of these issues, Gallagher noted, revolves around "ongoing conflicts."

While not specifying these conflicts, Gallagher said they should not escalate to a point of "serious instability," leading to events like World War I, World War II, and the Cold War.

Highlighting the Holy See's concern, Gallagher pointed out a lack of trust in the rule of law in some countries.

"Today, there seems to be a lack of trust, particularly in international law and the institutions that uphold it, which have been cornerstones of global stability for decades; now they seem powerless against these new and complex challenges," Gallagher said.

Last Tuesday, Gallagher urged parties in the West Philippine Sea conflict to "resolve any differences peacefully" and "abide by international law."

"In such circumstances, such situations of conflict, whatever they are, the first and foremost effort must be to resolve any differences and conflicts peacefully," the archbishop said earlier.

"We would encourage parties in conflict to abide by international law and pursue ways of resolving difficulties and problems in the best interest of all involved," Gallagher added.

It was the first time an official of the Vatican spoke about the West Philippine Sea issue involving the Philippines and China.

Human trafficking

Also during his speech Friday, Gallagher expressed concern about human trafficking—a lingering social ill victimizing many Filipinos.

To eradicate this threat, the Vatican official stressed the need to address the root causes of poverty and corruption within institutions and countries.

"If we are going to effectively combat this toxic scourge, we must block its tributaries and address its root causes such as extreme poverty, government corruption, injustice, and economic exclusion," Gallagher said.

Echoing the sentiments of Pope Francis, Gallagher said that the Holy See seeks to safeguard religious freedom for all individuals worldwide, as it is a fundamental human right and a crucial avenue toward fostering unity and global peace.

Meeting with CBCP

In a related development, Gallagher met with the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to discuss various matters surrounding the Catholic faith in the Philippines.

While the specifics of the CBCP meeting agenda were unclear, Gallagher mentioned that the Absolute Divorce Bill would be one of the topics that he intended to inquire about during the discussions.

Earlier this week, Gallagher said the Vatican has not reached out to the Philippines or the CBCP regarding the proposed measure legalizing divorce in the country, which was recently approved by the House of Representatives.

The issue was "within the confidence" of the CBCP and individual bishops, Gallagher previously said.

Meanwhile, Gallagher has also met with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. in Malacañang Palace, wherein the archbishop conveyed greetings from Pope Francis to the Chief Executive and the Filipino people.

Diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the Vatican span 73 years after it was established on April 8, 1951. — VDV, GMA Integrated News