Parolin's name is included in the list of 131 participants in this year's event.

His participation in the meeting has not been officially announced by the Vatican, though sources within the Secretariat of State have confirmed that he is scheduled to take part in the meeting.

It would be the first time high-ranking Vatican official has taken part in the Bilderberg Conferences.

Started in 1954 the Hotel de Bilderberg in Oosterbeek, The Netherlands, and named after the same hotel, the Bilderberg Conference gathers each year some 120-150 participants, among them European and North American political elites, along with industrial, financial, academic and media figures.

The first meeting took place at the invitation of Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. Co-founders of the meeting were Polish politician Jozef Retinger, former Belgian prime minister Paul van Zeeland, and Paul Rijkens, who was then the head of Unilever.