40 Facts About Pietro Parolin

Pietro Parolin was born in Schiavon, Province of Vicenza, the son of a hardware store manager and an elementary school teacher.

Pietro Parolin entered the Holy See's diplomatic service in 1986 at the age of 31.

Pietro Parolin served for three years in the Nunciature of Nigeria where he became familiar with the problems in Christian-Muslim relations.

At the Nunciature of Mexico from 1989 to 1992, Pietro Parolin contributed to the final phase of the work begun by Archbishop Girolamo Prigione which led to the legal recognition of the Catholic Church in 1992 and the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Mexico after 130 years.

Pietro Parolin was Undersecretary of State for Relations with States from 30 November 2002 to 17 August 2009.

Pietro Parolin has been at the forefront of Vatican efforts to approve and implement the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

Pietro Parolin was consecrated a bishop on 12 September 2009 by Benedict XVI, with Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone and William Cardinal Levada as co-consecrators.

At 58, Pietro Parolin became the youngest Secretary of State since 1929, when Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli was appointed to the position at the age of 53.

Pietro Parolin became Francis' first cardinal when he was made Cardinal-Priest of Santi Simone e Giuda Taddeo a Torre Angela at a papal general consistory on 22 February 2014.

Pietro Parolin attended meetings of the Council of Cardinal Advisers on a regular basis and in July 2014 became the council's ninth member.

Pietro Parolin asked that Parolin, a former nuncio to Venezuela, be named a "good faith witness" to a dialogue the parties had agreed upon after two months of protests.

In December 2014, Cardinal Pietro Parolin asked the US to find an "adequate humanitarian solution" for prisoners held at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, a reflection of Pope Francis' concern that prisoners be treated with dignity and not be subject to inhumane treatment.

Pietro Parolin made the request during a Vatican meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry.

The Vatican said they discussed the US commitment to closing the facility and that Pietro Parolin expressed the Holy See's desire that "favourable attention be paid to finding adequate humanitarian solutions for current inmates".

Pietro Parolin moderated the October 2014 meeting between Cuban and US officials as their negotiations neared an agreement.

Pietro Parolin said that "the president of the United States has already thanked the Pope for the support he has given to this important step" and said: "Holy See diplomacy is always there, to help to build bridges".

Pietro Parolin called for an intervention in Libya to stop a possible alliance between the country's Islamic government and the Islamic State.

Pietro Parolin spoke about the chaos there after ISIS beheaded 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians, describing the incident as "terrifying" and the situation "grave".

Pietro Parolin added that "any armed intervention must be carried forward under the framework of international law" and "under the umbrella of the United Nations".

Pietro Parolin believes Pope Francis simply tries to guide the church to be the church of Christ and that he is not starting a revolution.

Pietro Parolin defends the importance of unchangeable dogmas and asserts the relevance of sacred tradition.

Pietro Parolin said celibacy is a discipline that could be changed but that it cannot simply be dismissed as outdated.

In May 2016, Pietro Parolin visited Estonia to mark the 25th anniversary of the reintroduction of diplomatic relations between Estonia and the Holy See.

Pietro Parolin spoke at the University of Tartu on the precise meaning of their international relations.

Pietro Parolin was appointed a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in October 2016.

Pietro Parolin called the lack of cooperation from some Vatican offices "shameful".

Pietro Parolin told Italy's La Stampa the flow of migrants and refugees into Europe is testing "the spirit of solidarity and subsidiarity" of the European Union, and acknowledged the large number of people fleeing to the continent poses a security problem.

In 2017, Pietro Parolin became the Vatican's first Secretary of State in 19 years to visit Moscow.

Pietro Parolin was there [in the Secretariat of State] so many years, so he must know.

Pietro Parolin is very sweet, but I have no trust in this person.

Pietro Parolin has been called papabile, a candidate to succeed Francis as pope.

In October 2018, Pietro Parolin said that Paul VI rejected a version of Humane Vitae that "was limited to a rigorous reaffirmation of doctrine to which Christians and all people were asked to adhere docilely and without reservation".

Post-publication debates, Cardinal Pietro Parolin said, made it impossible for many people to see its accent on mercy.

In 2019, Pietro Parolin defended the Holy See-China agreement on the appointment of bishops.

In 2023, Cardinal Pietro Parolin said there was a need for dialogue with the German bishops after a recent vote in favour of blessing same-sex unions, insisting that the move does not align with official Catholic doctrine.

Pietro Parolin has said both parties to a deal with Chinese authorities on episcopal appointments hope that it will be renewed for a third time when it expires in late 2024.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin visited Ukraine to close a popular Marian pilgrimage, and met with civil and ecclesial authorities amid the Holy See's continued push for peace.

At COP 29 in November 2024, it was reported that Cardinal Pietro Parolin aligned with Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, and Egypt to obstruct a deal which would have provided support, including financial help, for women at the forefront of climate change according to Colombia's environment minister.

In February 2025, amidst the pope's worsening health, Pietro Parolin rejected rumours that Pope Francis would resign.

Pietro Parolin speaks native Venetian, Italian, fluent English and French, and near-native Spanish.