Pope Francis lamented this Thursday the “tremendous” suffering of “so many innocents” in the war conflict that is taking place between Palestine and Israel, what he considered a “tragedy” of which “unfortunately, we are witnesses.”
In a speech addressed to the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, the pontiff showed the “pain” of the “Mother Church of Jerusalem” regarding the conflict, and asked for “the gift of peace” to the Virgin Mary, to whom called “Queen of Palestine”.
(You may be interested in: A humanitarian aid conference for Gaza starts in Paris: who is participating?)
“Unfortunately we are witnesses of a tragedy that takes place precisely in the places where the Lord has lived, where he taught us through his humanity to love, forgive and do good to all. And instead of that, We see them torn by terrible suffering that affects so many innocent people above all. “So many innocent people dead,” he said.
The Argentine pontiff had already asked this Sunday after praying the Angelus for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, to “that the wounded can be helped and that aid reaches the population of Gazawhere the humanitarian situation is desperate”.
“I continue to think about the serious situation in Palestine and Israel, where so many people have lost their lives. Please, in the name of God, cease fire. I hope that all possible paths will be sought so that an expansion of the conflict is absolutely avoided.” said the pope, looking out onto St. Peter’s Square from the window of the papal palace.
(You can read: ‘You cannot reoccupy the Gaza Strip’: Antony Blinken’s warning to Israel).
He also reiterated his call for the immediate release of the hostages held by the Palestinian Islamic group Hamas since the October 7 attack. “Among them there are many children. Let them return to their families,” Francisco asked.
“Let us think and pray for the peoples suffering from war and let us not forget the martyred Ukraine and, in the Palestinian and Israeli people, may the Lord bring a just peace,” the pope said in a new appeal for peace that he improvised after the audience. And he added: “There is so much suffering. Children, the sick, the elderly suffer and so many young people die.” “ War is always a defeat, let us not forget it. It is always a defeat,” Francisco recalled in his appeal.
EFE
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