Deadly violence in Minneapolis tied to ICE agents is ‘unacceptable,’ top cardinal says January 29, 2026By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Filed Under: Immigration and Migration, News, Vatican, World News ROME (CNS) — Asked about the deadly shootings by U.S. federal agents in Minneapolis, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, said the violence unfolding there is “unacceptable.” Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, is seen Sept. 28, 2019, addressing the 74th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations at U.N. headquarters in New York. (OSV News photo/Brendan McDermid, Reuters) “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,” he told reporters when asked about operations underway by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minnesota, which have led to the shootings and deaths of two U.S. citizens. “Difficulties, problems and contradictions must be resolved in other ways,” he said Jan. 28, describing the situation as “unacceptable” and agreeing with recent statements by U.S. bishops. The cardinal spoke with reporters on the sidelines of an evening event at LUMSA University in Rome Jan. 28. Asked about the possibility of the U.S. sending ICE agents to the Winter Olympics in northern Italy as part of security measures for the U.S. delegation, the cardinal said he was aware of the proposal, “but I know there is also controversy surrounding it. We don’t get involved” in such controversies. Meanwhile, the secretary-general of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Giuseppe Baturi, told reporters during a news conference Jan. 28 that “We hope that respect for public order will be ensured as much as possible by our own (Italian) authorities,” adding that there has been no official statement from the conference on the issue. Read More Vatican News Pope Leo expresses hope Ukraine, Russia negotiations bear fruit Pope Leo XIV says Christians in the Middle East offer a ‘precious testimony for the entire Church’ Catholics cannot be ‘unengaged spectators’ amid current events, pope says A long-awaited reckoning: A timeline of the Father Marko Rupnik case Vatican theological commission defines ‘sin against creation and the Creator’ in new document Pope Leo says, ‘It is not yet too late’ to care for creation Copyright © 2026 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Print
