Cardinal Parolin comments on Minnesota violence, Trump's Board of Peace, Greenland and more

 

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, at Lumsa University in Rome 

Vatican

• Pietro Parolin
• Vatican
• current affairs
• peace
• United States
• Denmark
• Middle East
• diplomacy

Cardinal Parolin: Violence in Minneapolis is unacceptable

Cardinal Secretary of Stato Pietro Parolin speaks to journalists about the climate of tension in Minnesota, the Holy See’s position on the 'Board of Peace', and diplomatic talks on Greenland.

By Antonella Palermo

“The position of the Holy See is always to avoid any kind of violence, obviously, and therefore we cannot accept episodes of this kind. That is our position, as you know”.

Those were the words of Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, responding to questions from journalists concerning Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents’ operations in Minnesota, United States, which have resulted in the death of two US citizens.

“Difficulties, problems, and contradictions must be resolved in other ways,” added the Secretary of State, aligning himself with an earlier statement from the U.S. bishops, and describing the situation as “unacceptable.”

Cardinal Parolin was speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the “Ethics and Economy” meeting organized by LUMSA University in Rome.

Board of Peace: there are “problematic apects"

The Secretary of State then also commented on the open letter sent to him yesterday by the Network of Priests Against Genocide, which urges the Holy See not to be part of the 'Board of Peace' currently being set up under the leadership of US President Donald Trump.

He was asked whether the Vatican had made a decision on whether or not to participate: “One always has to respond after a while… let us think about it for a moment,” Cardinal Parolin replied, adding that he understands the concern.

He then reiterated what he had told the press days earlier on the same issue, specifying that “faced with this proposal, there were indeed problematic points that needed to be taken into consideration and that would then be evaluated in view of a response. The response has not yet been given, but I believe one cannot forget the problematic aspects of this plan.”

Cardinal Parolin was also asked about the risk that ICE agents might come to Italy during the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina D’Ampezzo. “Yes, yes, I have read the news," he said, "but I know there is also controversy surrounding it. Let’s not enter into that controversy".

Greenland: moving toward a solution

Cardinal Parolin, who returned a couple of days from Denmark for celebrations marking the ninth-century St. Ansgar, confirmed that he met, as planned, with Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who detailed the situation regarding Greenland.

“He told me about his contacts in Washington, which were very much appreciated. I then heard comments as well, especially from Lutheran bishops and other people, saying that Danish public opinion was very pleased with the positions taken,” the Secretary of State said.

“Without going into details, I believe we are moving toward a solution, an agreement. I don’t know the precise terms,” he emphasized, “but it seemed to me that the foreign minister was quite positive following these dialogues that have taken place. Let us hope it is so.”

“Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza”: understanding the workers’ crisis

A journalist then asked for clarification regarding the “Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza”, a hospital founded by St. Pio of Pietrelcina which is owned by the Holy See, in San Giovanni Rotondo in southern Italy.

The reporter highlighted the hospital’s deficit and the acute crisis affecting its workers. “We are trying in every possible way to resolve the problem and help the hospital emerge from the difficulties it is facing,” Cardinal Parolin replied.

Regarding criticism over a lack of financial transparency, he promised to consult the chairman of the board of directors to “ask for more information,” reiterating his commitment to addressing the workers’ concerns.

The Catholic Church in Greenland

 

The Catholic parish of Nuuk, Greenland  

Church

• Denmark
• Europe
• politics
• Climate change
• interview

Parish Priest of Nuuk, Greenland: ‘Our home is not for sale’

Amid mounting geopolitical tensions, Fr. Tomaž Majcen, the Slovene Franciscan priest who leads the small Catholic community on the Arctic island, tells Vatican News that Greenlanders “want to be seen as a people with their own story, language, culture, and faith.”

By Valerio Palombaro

“We want to choose [Greenland’s] future ourselves.”

A quiet determination runs through the icy streets of Nuuk, which, with its 20,000 inhabitants, is Greenland’s main city.

It is Father Tomaž Majcen, a Slovene Franciscan friar, who is describing the atmosphere on the Artic island to Vatican Media. For about two and a half years, he has served as parish priest of Christ the King Church in Nuuk—the only Latin Catholic parish across Greenland’s more than two million square kilometers of land and ice.

A people with a history and a culture

An island with just 56,000 inhabitants has now become a focal point of global geopolitical competition over rare earths and energy resources.

“The atmosphere in Nuuk right now is quiet on the surface, but inside there is tension”, Father Majcen says.

Since accepting the invitation in the summer of 2023 from the Bishop of Copenhagen to take pastoral care of the Catholic community on the Arctic island, he has come to know its people well. “People in Greenland are not loud. They watch, listen and think before they speak. Lately, … talk about politics happens more often in shops and coffee tables.”

Many people, the Slovene priest explains, feel “hurt” rather than angry when they hear foreign politicians speak of Greenland “as power or property”.

“It touches their pride,” he said. “They want to be seen as a people with their own story, language, culture and faith. There is no fear, but people know that strong voices far away are talking about Greenland without really understanding it.”

This, Fr Majcen says, brings both a sense of “weakness” and of “togetherness”.

A small but vibrant Catholic community

That sense of togetherness is nourished and grounded within faith communities. About 90 percent of Greenlanders belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church, which is deeply rooted in the people’s history and identity. “Catholics are only a very small minority—here in Nuuk there are about 500 Catholics, and across all of Greenland around 800—coming from different nations, languages, and backgrounds.” Many come from the Philippines and Europe. “Our parish is small, but very much alive.”

The Church in Greenland, though tiny in number, plays an important role, according to Nuuk’s parish priest, in reminding people that “land is never just land. It is always bound to people, memories, ancestors, and future generations.”

Every Sunday, prayers are said in Lutheran churches for the Kingdom of Denmark and for Greenland’s autonomous government. The initiative, organised by Paneeraq Siegstad Munk, Bishop of Greenland for the Evangelical Lutheran Church, takes place in an unprecedented geopolitical context.

“Churches,” Father Majcen insists, “offer something quiet but powerful: prayer, presence, listening, and moral grounding. When we speak of creation as a gift of God and of human dignity, we are already saying something very strong against reducing Greenland to a strategic object. Greenland must not become a chessboard for global interests.”

A question of dignity

Current events may strengthen Greenlanders’ desire for independence. “People are realistic,” the Slovene priest observes. “They know that independence is not just a dream, but also a great responsibility. Economic issues, education, healthcare—all of this matters.”

What is very clear, in any case, is that Greenlanders do not want to “trade” one form of dependence for another. “The idea of being absorbed or dominated by another power is widely rejected,” he says. “For many, independence is a matter of dignity, cultural survival, and self-respect.”

Father Majcen also describes reactions to the arrival of a small group of European and NATO soldiers. “Any military presence raises questions,” he says, “but this is generally perceived differently from aggressive foreign interest. Most people understand it within the framework of cooperation and shared responsibility for security in the Arctic region. There is no enthusiasm for militarization, but there is awareness that the Arctic has become strategically important.”

Peace among the ice

All of this inevitably leads back to climate change. “Here,” says the parish priest of Nuuk, “it is not a theory, but something you can see with your own eyes. The structure of the ice is changing, the seasons are changing, and hunters speak of how nature no longer behaves as it once did.”

Life among the ice strips away what is superfluous. “As a priest, I often feel that this land itself teaches prayer. The silence, the vastness, the fragility—all of this invites humility. Preserving Greenland’s environment must begin with respect: respect for nature, for indigenous knowledge, and for future generations.”

“We must recover the idea that Creation is not ours to exploit, but to care for,” he concludes. “Politically and economically, decisions must be slow, thoughtful, and rooted in long-term responsibility, not short-term gain. Because once this land is damaged, it cannot easily be restored.”

Catholics in Greenland want no part of American takeover

 

Greenland Catholics ‘do not wish to become Americans’ amid U.S. efforts at acquisition

By Daniel Payne

Jan 14, 2026 

Greenlandic Catholics are reportedly expressing opposition to United States plans to acquire the territory, while Nordic Catholic leaders are waiting to see how the situation develops amid potential U.S. military intervention.

U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled repeatedly that he wants the U.S. to annex Greenland in some form, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt describing the matter as a “national security priority.”

Utilizing the military to that end “is always an option,” Leavitt said on Jan. 6.

The apparent threat of military action on Greenland touched off a global controversy, with U.S. advocates praising the White House’s ambitions and critics decrying it as an aggressive power move.

Trump on Jan. 11 indicated again that the effort was motivated by security concerns. “If we don’t [acquire Greenland], Russia or China will, and that’s not going to happen when I ‘m president,” he told reporters on Air Force One.

‘Too early to make any definitive statements’

A sparsely populated landmass home to about 55,000 permanent residents, Greenland is among the least Catholic territories in the West, with the vast majority of Greenlanders belonging to the Lutheran church.

Catholics in the area are served by the Diocese of Copenhagen, located approximately 2,000 miles east of Nuuk, the most populous city on the island. Though mostly self-administered, the region falls under the authority of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Sister Anna Mirijam Kaschner, CPS, the secretary-general of the Nordic Bishops ‘Conference, told CNA that the bishops — who serve Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland — will be holding a plenary meeting in March.

“By then we expect to have a clearer understanding of the situation,” she said. “It is very likely that the matter will be discussed at that time.”

It is “too early to make any definitive statements,” Kaschner said, though she added that there is some consternation already among Greenland’s small Catholic population, which is almost entirely concentrated in a single parish, Christ the King Church in Nuuk.

“Parishioners in Greenland have expressed concern about the situation involving the United States,” she said. “According to the parish priest, many have said that Greenland is their land, their country, and their home, and that they do not wish to become Americans.”

That sentiment has been echoed by political leaders in Greenland, a territory that has developed a distinct identity quite apart from its North American geography and its European administration.

A Jan. 9 joint statement from the country’s major political parties said bluntly: “We do not want to be Americans, we do not want to be Danes — we want to be Greenlanders.”

“The future of our country is for the Greenlandic people themselves to decide,” the leaders said, vowing to “independently decide what our country’s future should look like — without pressure, without delays, and without interference from others.”

The territory’s leaders have considerable latitude for self-governance, particularly after a self-rule law in 2009 established local control of the legal system and law enforcement, among other jurisdictions. Greenland is also permitted to seek full independence from Denmark if its people desire to do so.

With Catholic representation on the island sparse, the Church’s role in any future deliberation may be limited. Still, Kaschner said, Church leaders in Europe may develop a stance on the issue in the near future.

“Generally, Catholic leaders in the Nordic countries handle issues like this with caution, stressing respect for local people, existing sovereignty, and the dignity of affected communities,” she said.

Ahead of a clearer picture of the international dispute, she said, “there’s no single official stance beyond a focus on the well-being and wishes of Greenland’s people.”

Yes indeed, the Catholic Church does exist in Greenland

 

An interview with Greenland’s only Catholic priest

Gina Christian - OSV NewsApril 02, 2025

Franciscan Father Tomaz Majcen, the only Catholic parish priest serving in Greenland, is seen with several of his parishioners at Christ the King Church in Nuuk, Greenland. (OSV News photo/Father Tomaz Majcen)

(OSV News) — Father Tomaž Majcen, a Conventual Franciscan, is the only Catholic parish priest in Greenland, working alongside two fellow Franciscan friars.

OSV News asked the Slovenian-born Father Majcen—who serves at Christ the King Church in the capital city of Nuuk—to share his experiences of ministering in Greenland.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

OSV News: How did you come to serve in Greenland?

Father Majcen: Since February 1, 2017, I have been a member of the Conventual Franciscan Mission in Denmark, which belongs to the Province of St. Jerome in Croatia. We are a community of three Franciscan friars who came to Denmark as missionaries, and we work pastorally in two Catholic parishes in Copenhagen.

In the summer of 2023, Bishop Czeslaw Kozon of Copenhagen asked us if we could take over pastoral care in Greenland. Since I had previously provided regular pastoral care in Nuuk at least once a year, I agreed to the bishop’s appointment as the parish priest there.

Are you the only Catholic priest in the country? If so, do you have any relief priests who assist when you need to travel?

Yes, I am the only Catholic parish priest in Greenland. As I mentioned, I have two parishes, one in Copenhagen and the other in Nuuk, so I divide my time between these two parishes.

I spend several weeks in Greenland at different times throughout the year, and along with some priests from Denmark, I make sure the Mass is celebrated for the faithful every Sunday. It is in English, although most people also understand Danish. Sometimes tourists come to our church, and that is also why the Mass is in English.

Sometimes it happens that I cannot provide a priest, and then the community itself arranges a liturgy of the Word service on Sunday.

About how many Catholics are currently in Greenland?

There are about 300 Catholics in Nuuk and a few in other towns in Greenland. I assume there are 500 in total, more or less.

There are a few other small groups of Catholics on the island who do not have their own church. Occasionally, a priest visits a small Catholic flock in the towns of Ilulissat and Sisimiut. It’s a two-hour flight north from Nuuk. On those occasions, the faithful gather in their own homes and thus, they have an experience similar to that of the early Christians.

What is the makeup of the Catholic community in Greenland?

The Catholic community in Greenland is relatively small and diverse, with many members being immigrants from various countries.

The majority of Catholics in Greenland come from the Philippines and other European and Latin American countries.

There are also some Danes who are Catholic.

As for the Indigenous Inuit (Kalaallisut-speaking Greenlandic people), only a very small number are Catholic. Most Indigenous traditionally follow Lutheran Christianity, which was introduced by Danish missionaries. However, there are a few Indigenous Greenlanders who have converted to Catholicism.

How is the Second Vatican Council’s call for the enculturation of the faith lived out in your parish? Do you incorporate songs, symbols and the like from the parishioners’ various backgrounds?

Since the majority of Catholics in our church, approximately 90%, are Filipinos, we occasionally sing Filipino songs during worship and especially at Christmas and Easter we also incorporate some of their traditions into the worship, such as decorating the church.

How would you describe parish life at Christ the King?

Despite the small number of parishioners, I always admire their care for the parish and their beautifully prepared services.

After every Sunday Mass, we have dinner with shared foods.

We have activities where we dine together for a small amount of money, and the proceeds are donated to Caritas.

We pray the holy rosary in the church with the youth and children. Parishioners participate in Christian life activities in the city.

Last year was a very fruitful year. We had seven baptisms; one confirmation of an adult person, and 10 children received their first holy Communion.

This year, three young people are preparing to receive confirmation. I am happy to say that our parish is growing.

What are the main challenges of serving in Greenland?

My main challenge is that I can’t always be with my parishioners. As I mentioned, I also have a parish in Copenhagen, so I travel back and forth throughout the year.

These trips are also a bit tiring and uncertain, because you never know if you will reach your destination. Due to the changeable and unpredictable weather in Nuuk, my trips have been canceled several times for a few days.

Here, one often faces isolation, harsh weather, and the challenge of serving to a tiny, widely dispersed congregation. However, the beauty of Greenland’s landscapes and the deep sense of mission can make it a rewarding but demanding calling.

What are the blessings of serving in Greenland?

From the very beginning, this land was for me the place of grace and peace where I can rest my body and soul. At the same time, it gives me a chance to reflect deeply on my spiritual life, and I can truly step away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Greenland is called the “land of the midnight sun,” since the sun does not set for several months during the year. Is there a spiritual lesson or inspiration in that for you?

Yes, the phrase “land of the midnight sun” can carry deep spiritual inspiration. For those who seek meaning in nature, Greenland’s land of the midnight sun can serve as a powerful reminder that light -- whether literal or spiritual -- can always be found, even when it seems unexpected.

I can say that for me this is always an exciting adventure, where God and man come together in the world of light and darkness

Do you have any thoughts on recent calls by the current administration to take control over Greenland? If so, how might such a move affect your ministry and your parish?

If (President Donald) Trump’s wishes come true, it could happen in the future that pastoral care in Greenland would be offered from some American diocese, which would mean I would lose my dream job here. I hope and pray that this will not happen.

From my perspective, whether there is a conflict or not with this issue, I will let God be the center of everything. We pray as best we can for peace on earth and let God do the rest. I am more concerned about accompanying the small Catholic flocks of the island than about Trump’s conquering desires