Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, expressed his hope this week that the results of the 2026 U.S. midterm elections will foster future collaboration.
The diplomat spoke on Nov. 5 on the sidelines of the conference “The Universal Face of the Church in China,” held at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome. The elections saw major victories for the Democratic Party, which regained majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Parolin, responding to a question about whether democracy had won in these U.S. elections, said that he hoped for collaboration for the good of the country.
“It is difficult to make such categorical statements as ‘democracy has won,’” Parolin said. “Let’s hope there is a capacity to collaborate.”
“We will try to find ways of working together for the good of the country. This is important, and this is what we hope for.”
Parolin also said he expected the Democratic Party’s recent victories to bring changes to the U.S.
“This will surely bring changes; itʼs logical. Now we will see how they manage it. But letʼs hope that reason and common sense prevail,” Parolin remarked.
He also noted the unprecedented nature of Pope Leo XIV voting in the U.S. election, the first of any pontiff in history.
“It never happened with Italian popes, nor with Polish popes, nor with German popes, but in the end at least he was a citizen. I believe he remains a U.S. citizen and therefore has every right to do so.”
Parolin also expressed his hope that new leadership in the U.S. would advance peace in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
“Right now itʼs very difficult to predict who knows what changes. For a long time we have been hoping and trying to do everything possible to close the very painful chapter of Ukraine and many other conflicts around the world. But itʼs difficult to say right now what will happen. We live and wait.”