✣ Vatican seeks direct talks with North Korea
What happened? Pope Francis hopes to open communications with the North Korean regime amid rising tensions between Pyongyang and the United States. According to Cardinal Peter Turkson, who leads the Vatican’s department for Integral Human Development, Rome is “exploring the possibilities of speaking to them directly”. Cardinal Turkson made the remark at a Vatican conference on nuclear disarmament, at which the Pope condemned the possession of nuclear weapons as “illogical” and wrong. What the media are saying There was excitement in the tabloids. “Pope wades into North Korea crisis,” reported the Express – a turn of phrase also used by the Sun, which informed readers: “The Pope is gathering officials and peaceniks as he tries to save the world from nuclear disaster amid the West’s standoff with North Korea.” However, Italian news agency Ansa reported that Vatican spokesman Greg Burke had poured cold water on these reports. “It is false to talk of mediation,” Burke said. “It is not mediation and it is not a summit either. It is a high-level conference on nuclear disarmament.” Still, the conference itself attracted headlines. Philip Pullella of Reuters observed that Francis “appeared to go further than previous popes” in speaking out against even stockpiling nuclear weapons. What Catholics are saying At Crux, John Allen said that the Pope’s diplomatic efforts would have to overcome major obstacles. Given North Korea’s “legendary suspiciousness of outsiders” and attachment to “the national ideology of Juche, or ‘self-reliance’, it may be the longest of shots that anyone close to Kim would even pick up the phone if the Vatican calls”. Nevertheless, “it’s certainly worth making the effort”, given the tensions with the US and North Korea’s persecution of Christians. Lord Alton, co-chairman of the parliamentary group on North Korea, said: “Anything that Pope Francis can do to help avert a new and catastrophic war is to be welcomed.” As well as the arms race question, “we should simultaneously shine a light on the systematic and egregious violations of human rights.”
