MOSCOW (SE): News media in Russia reported early in August that the Vatican secretary of state, Pietro Cardinal Parolin, was set to fly to Moscow on August 20 for a five-day visit. Although the dates of the visit had not been confirmed by the Vatican, it did say that he would make the visit before the end of August.
 
In the event, Cardinal Parolin arrived in Moscow on August 21 and during his four-day visit met with the Patriarch Kirill and the Metropolitan Hilarion, both from the Russian Orthodox Church.
 

DAVOS (SE): Cardinal Pietro Parolin listed what he called the three priorities for Vatican diplomacy during a discussion panel at the Davos World Economic Forum in Switzerland on January 18, saying that fighting poverty, building bridges and achieving peace in concrete situations sit at the top.

FREISING (UCAN): At a gathering in Freising, Germany, in early September, the Vatican secretary of state, Pietro Cardinal Parolin, said that the Lord’s call to bring peace and mercy is urgent and significant in today’s world.

BOGOTA (SE): Pope Francis is continuing his push for world peace. Following on from his World Day of Prayer for Peace at Assisi and the appearance of his secretary of state, Pietro Cardinal Parolin, at the United Nations to address 193 representatives of countries on Vatican diplomacy for peace, he dispatched the cardinal to Bogota, Colombia, as a go between in the 52-year-old conflict between the government and the Colombia People’s Army.

HONG KONG (SE): A talk given by the Vatican secretary of state, Pietro Cardinal Parolin, in the Italian town of Pordenone on August 27 was described by Francesco Sisci, from Renmin University in Beijing, as a hint to how much the Vatican is prepared to suffer in order to achieve peace and establish a more workable relationship with China.