Pope Leo XIV called for peace negotiations and respect for humanitarian law in Gaza, 10 days after an Israeli strike caused the death of three people at the only Catholic church in the enclave.
“I renew my heartfelt appeal for a ceasefire, for the release of hostages, and for the full respect for humanitarian law,” the pope said, speaking of the nearly two-year-old war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Speaking as is customary at midday on Sunday from a window of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, Leo emphasized “the very grave humanitarian situation in Gaza, where the civilian population is crushed by hunger and remains exposed to violence and death.”
Leo called on the parties in all conflicts around the world to recognize the God-given dignity of every person and “put an end to all actions contrary to it.”
The pope specifically voiced his concern over the escalation of violence in southern Syria and over the situation on the border between Cambodia and Thailand, where violent clashes have broken out in a territorial dispute.
He made his remarks after leading a crowd in St. Peter’s Square in a recitation of the Angelus. Before the prayer, he offered a short catechesis on the Our Father.
“We cannot pray to God as ‘Father’ and then be harsh and insensitive towards others. Instead, it is important to let ourselves be transformed by his goodness, his patience, his mercy, so that his face may be reflected in ours as in a mirror,” he said.
The pope reflected on the day’s Gospel in which Jesus teaches his disciples the Our Father and explained that this passage “invites us, through prayer and charity, to feel loved and to love as God loves us: with openness, discretion, mutual concern, and without deceit.”
Leo also said that this part of the Gospel shows “the characteristics of God’s fatherhood” through evocative images such as “that of a man who gets up in the middle of the night to assist a friend in welcoming an unexpected visitor”; and also “that of a parent who is concerned about giving good things to his children.”
The pope explained that these images remind us that God “never turns his back on us when we come to him, even if we arrive late to knock at his door, perhaps after mistakes, missed opportunities, or failures.”
In the great family of the Church, “the Father does not hesitate to make us all participants in each of his loving gestures,” Leo said.
He added: “The Lord always listens to us when we pray to him. If he sometimes responds in ways or at times that are difficult to understand, it is because he acts with wisdom and providence, which are beyond our understanding.”
Following the prayer, the pope greeted, among other groups, participants in the EWTN Summer Academy, an intensive training program in Catholic communication organized by EWTN News and aimed at young people between 21 and 35 years old with prior experience in digital content creation.
Leo also recalled that this Sunday marks the fifth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly under the theme “Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Lost Hope.”
“Let us look to grandparents and the elderly as witnesses of hope, capable of illuminating the path of new generations. Let us not leave them alone but join them in an alliance of love and prayer,” he said.
Finally, the pope spoke in Spanish to greet the thousands of young people who will participate in the Jubilee of Youth from July 28 to Aug. 3, one of the biggest events of the current holy year.
“I hope it will be for everyone an occasion to encounter Christ and to be strengthened in faith and in the commitment to follow him with consistency,” the pope said.
SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER HERE
This article was originally published on CNA.
