by WorldTribune Staff, June 8, 2018
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin is reportedly the only religious leader on the list of 131 participants in this year’s Bilderberg Meeting.
Though the Vatican did not officially announce Parolin’s participation in the secretive meeting often targeted by conspiracy theories, sources within the Secretariat of State have confirmed that he was scheduled to take part in the event in Turin, Italy set for June 7-10, Cruxnow.com reported.
Parolin’s participation would mark the first time a high-ranking Vatican official has taken part in the Bilderberg conclave.
Related: It’s that Bilderberg time of the year, and Euro-populism tops the agenda, June 5, 2018
Sending Parolin to the meeting may be an expression of the “culture of the encounter” encouraged by Pope Francis, Cruxnow.com noted, adding the pope has often asked Vatican officials to engage a dialogue with the world.
Last year, Parolin took part in the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he delivered a speech in which he listed the aims of pontifical diplomacy.
This year’s meeting is set to discuss populism in Europe, the challenges of inequality, the future of work, artificial intelligence, U.S. midterm elections, free trade, U.S. global leadership, Russia, quantum computing, Saudi Arabia and Iran, the post-truth world, and other current events.
The Bilderberg meeting’s official website stresses that discussions are private, no minutes are taken and no reports are written.
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