Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin concluded a two-day visit to Denmark with a meeting with the country’s king and foreign minister as tensions between Europe and the United States still loom. Source: NCR Online.
King Frederik X posted a photo on Instagram with Cardinal Parolin on Monday, however, neither the Danish monarch nor government officials revealed what was discussed.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen also took to Instagram on Monday, highlighting his meeting with Cardinal Parolin, as well as an earlier meeting with Jozef Sikela, European commissioner for international partnerships, and Greenlandic representative Tove Søvndahl Gant.
The Danish official and Cardinal Parolin spoke about “a number of the world’s current challenges”, Mr Rasmussen wrote.
Cardinal Parolin was in Denmark on January 24-26 on behalf of Pope Leo XIV, who appointed the cardinal as his papal legate to commemorate the 1200th anniversary of the beginning of St Ansgar’s mission in Denmark.
He celebrated Mass on Sunday at the Cathedral of Copenhagen, emphasising witness rooted in faith, not power, and warning against violations of sovereignty and the erosion of multilateral cooperation.
The evangelisation of Denmark began in AD 826, when Emperor Louis the Pious, who ruled as king of the Franks, sent St Ansgar, a Benedictine monk known as the “Apostle of the North” to evangelise Denmark and Sweden during the Viking Age.
Although paganism maintained a strong foothold, St Ansgar’s missionary efforts bore fruit more than a century later, following the conversion of Danish King Harald Bluetooth to Christianity.
“St Ansgar, together with St Paul, the teacher of the Gentiles, is able to provide the witness of the Gospel of Christ with words and warnings, so that the saving message may be proclaimed enthusiastically and perseveringly everywhere,” Pope Leo wrote in his letter for the anniversary.
The cardinal’s visit comes at a contentious time. Although US President Donald Trump has announced the framework of a deal with NATO over Greenland, including possible sovereignty for US bases, Denmark and other European countries have found themselves on the defensive against an allied country.
Neither the Trump Administration nor NATO have released concrete details on the deal’s parameters.
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Cardinal Parolin meets with Danish king, prime minister amid tensions over Greenland (By Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV News via NCR Online)
