Cardinal Parolin Visits Paris for Historic Colloquium

Paris, January 17, 2025: Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, visited Paris from January 15 to 16, to participate in a colloquium organized by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The event marked the centenary of a historic 1924 exchange of letters between then Apostolic Nuncio to France, Archbishop Bonaventura Cerretti, and then French Prime Minister Raymond Poincaré. This historic exchange, which took place from January 11 to 17, 1924, was a pivotal agreement that established the legal framework for the creation of diocesan associations under the authority of bishops in France. This initiative addressed the void created by the 1905 law on the separation of Church and State, commonly known as the Loi sur la Laïcité.

Cardinal Parolin attended the colloquium along with Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Apostolic Nuncio to France, and Archbishop Éric de Moulins-Beaufort, President of the French Bishops’ Conference.

Earlier in the day, Cardinal Parolin met with Jean-Noël Barrot, France's Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the Quai d’Orsay. During the meeting, they exchanged views on shared concerns and collaborative opportunities.

A day earlier, on Wednesday evening, recently appointed French Prime Minister, François Bayrou, received Cardinal Parolin at the Palais Matignon for a high-level meeting. The Cardinal later held discussions with Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who is also responsible for overseeing religious affairs in the country.

Courtesy: Vatican News