Pope Leo XIV received President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine for an audience in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Thursday, almost a month after the truce agreement in the Gaza Strip came into effect.
According to the Holy See Press Office, during the meeting “it was recognized that there is an urgent need to provide assistance to the civilian population in Gaza and to end the conflict by pursuing a two-state solution.”
This is the first in-person meeting between Leo XIV and the 90-year-old Palestinian leader, who was also received at the Vatican by Pope Francis on Dec. 12, 2024, and on prior occasions.
Abbas spoke with Leo by phone on July 21. The conversation focused on the evolution of the conflict in the Gaza Strip and the violence in the West Bank.
Thursday’s meeting coincides with a time of intense diplomatic activity surrounding the Palestinian issue, marked by more than two years of war in Gaza and increasing violence in the West Bank as well as by renewed international recognition of the State of Palestine, including by France and several other European countries.
The Holy See, which has officially recognized the State of Palestine since 2015, has repeatedly reiterated its support for the two-state solution, based on respect for international law and the need to guarantee the security of Israel and the dignity of the Palestinian people.
Leo has multiple times expressed his concern for the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, where the civilian population continues to suffer the consequences of the prolonged conflict.
The papal audience with Abbas coincides with the 10th anniversary of the agreement between the Holy See and the State of Palestine, signed on June 26, 2015, which formalized bilateral relations and addressed issues relating to the life and activity of the Catholic Church in the Palestinian territories.
Visit to the tomb of Pope Francis
Upon arriving in Rome on Nov. 5, Abbas visited the tomb of Pope Francis in Santa Maria Maggiore, according to Vatican News.
The Palestinian head of state entered the papal basilica at 4:30 p.m., accompanied by Father Ibrahim Faltas, former vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land, and his entourage. Abbas remained in prayer for approximately 15 minutes and, before leaving, placed a white rose on the marble tomb of the Argentine pope.
“I have come to see Pope Francis because I cannot forget what he has done for Palestine and the Palestinian people, and I cannot forget that he recognized Palestine without anyone asking him to,” Abbas told reporters waiting in the square outside the basilica.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
