On the eve of Ash Wednesday, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, said the pope "will not participate in the Board of Peace due to its particular nature, which is clearly not that of other states."

The board is an international body created by Trump to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza, as well as peace efforts elsewhere.

Parolin told reporters that a central "concern" with the board "is that, at the international level, it is primarily the [United Nations] that manages these crisis situations."

Trump formally launched the Board of Peace during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22.

While the president initially announced the board as a means of ensuring peace in Gaza and the rebuilding of the war-torn territory, Trump has broadened the intended role of the board.

"Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do, and we'll do it in conjunction with the United Nations," Trump said in Davos.

"You know, I've always said the United Nations has got tremendous potential. It has not used it," Trump added.

Trump is chairing the board. Permanent board members must each provide $1 billion in funding.

The European Union also recently announced it will not join the Board of Peace, citing concerns over its compatibility with the United Nations Charter and its broad scope.

However, one representative of the EU will be participating in some form. The European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica will attend the board's first meeting in Washington on Thursday.

EU Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho says attending the meeting is not equivalent to joining the board, but added that the EU is concerned with the "implementation of the ceasefire in Gaza" and wants to partake in "international efforts to support reconstruction and post-war recovery."

So far, over 25 nations have agreed to join the Board of Peace, which Trump chairs, including Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Mongolia, Morocco, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan.   Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

Virginia Allen is a senior news producer for The Daily Signal and host of "The Daily Signal Podcast" and "Problematic Women."

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