It is not every day that God calls for EU sanctions on Israel, but Roman Catholic cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández appeared to do so at the opening of an Extraordinary Consistory in the Vatican on Friday, 26 June, with Pope Leo. Addressing the assembly, Fernández stated that the European Union imposes economic sanctions on one country while sending financial aid and weapons to another, failing to act in the face of even more serious invasions with brutal consequences for entire populations. The cardinal’s comments left little doubt that he was referring to EU sanctions against Russia and arms supplies to Israel. He argued that the destruction of entire cities cannot be considered a proportionate defensive action and described the military interventions in Gaza and southern Lebanon as having an evident, enormous disproportion.
Highlighting the impact on the region, the cardinal noted that given the densely populated nature of the territories, the percentage of civilian deaths, the enormous number of children killed, and the volume of homes bombed allow for the description of total destruction. He framed the EU’s inaction as a symptom of a global order lacking a real and stable framework of truth and values. Furthermore, Fernández warned that both Israel and Russia are grounding their aggression in the theological criteria of just wars. This widely covered address acts as a nudge for Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni to consider joining France, Sweden, and approximately 10 other EU states in forming a majority to impose sanctions on Israel. Meloni, a right-wing populist, has previously demonstrated sensitivity to Catholic voters, and the Vatican’s numerous missions and holy sites in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem remain potential political tripwires should they be targeted by Israeli forces or settlers.
The cardinal’s words addressed figures such as Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar, finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, and security minister Itmar Ben-Gvir. Sa’ar, who rejoined Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party a year ago, has been engaging in populist stunts to secure his standing. Notably, he declared EU foreign relations chief Kaja Kallas persona non grata on X on 18 June, accusing her of antisemitic blood libel. Additionally, on Sunday, he championed a cabinet decision to recognize the Armenian genocide of 1915 to 1917, a move perceived as tone-deaf given the UN inquiry that declared Israel’s ongoing actions in Gaza as genocide on 23 June. While EU Commission lawyers deliberate on whether trade restrictions can pass via a qualified majority or if they require consensus—which would likely trigger Czech and German vetoes—the moral weight of the cardinal’s message remains significant.
Discussions regarding these policies continue within the EU, with some officials seen as more conciliatory than others. For instance, Croatian EU commissioner Dubravka Šuica met with Sa’ar in Tel Aviv on 22 June, where she posted friendly photos on social media without referencing his earlier slur against Kallas. Former EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell, who has been banned from entering Israel, criticized the lack of solidarity, noting the contrast between the treatment of Kallas and the smiles exchanged by Šuica. Concluding his remarks at the Consistory, Fernández observed that the violence, cynicism, and spiteful verbal attacks by political leaders have reached unimaginable levels. While such descriptions might evoke the rants of figures like Donald Trump, the cardinal emphasized that silence and negligence from the EU in the face of such widespread destruction and child casualties are equally cynical and spiteful forms of inaction.
