Speaking to reporters on April 7, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s Secretary of State, affirmed the “principle of legitimate self-defense” but cautioned that “an armed response in a manner proportional to the aggression, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us, can lead to an escalation of conflict which can have disastrous and deadly consequences.”

Describing the Bucha massacre as a “turning point” in the war, the prelate expressed hope that “we all return to reason and find a negotiated way to get off this one-way street.”

Cardinal Parolin said a papal trip to Kyiv was a possibility. “Certainly, the Pope would not go to take a position either in favor of one side or the other, as he has consistently done in this situation that has been created.” Referring to relations with the Russian Orthodox Church, Parolin added that “this aspect will also have to be taken into account in the overall consideration of the possibility of making the trip or not.”