Vatican

Pope urges ‘those who have the power to unleash wars’ to choose peace

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Pope Leo XIV delivers his “Urbi et Orbi” (to the City of Rome, and to the World) message from the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica after celebrating the Easter Mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, on April 05, 2026. [Isabella Bonotto – Anadolu Agency]

In his first Easter Sunday message since assuming the papacy, Pope Leo XIV urged world leaders to choose peace and lay down their weapons instead of unleashing wars, Anadolu reports.

“Let those who have weapons lay them down! Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue! Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them!” said the pontiff, speaking from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.

He said the world is growing accustomed to violence, with people resigned to it and becoming “indifferent” to the deaths of thousands of people, to the “repercussions of hatred and division that conflicts sow,” and their economic and social consequences.

“There is an ever-increasing ‘’globalization of indifference’,” Leo said. “We cannot continue to be indifferent! And we cannot resign ourselves to evil!”

“Let us abandon every desire for conflict, domination, and power, and implore the Lord to grant his peace to a world ravaged by wars and marked by a hatred and indifference that make us feel powerless in the face of evil,” he added.

Leo assumed the helm of the Catholic Church last May.

READ: US President Donald Trump issues 48-hour ultimatum to Iran over Strait of Hormuz

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Orcas discuss rotting brain. Front Orca says "Wish someone would lock him up".
Orcas discuss rotting brain. Front Orca says “Wish someone would lock him up”.

Continue ReadingPope urges ‘those who have the power to unleash wars’ to choose peace

What is happening in Gaza is unacceptable, Vatican says

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Cardinal Pietro Parolin during the Holy Mass for the election of the Roman Pontiff in St Peters Basilica. Vatican City (Vatican), May 7th, 2025 [Photo by Grzegorz Galazka/Archivio Grzegorz Galazka/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images]

The Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, has said that what is happening in the Gaza Strip under Israeli bombardment is unacceptable.

In an interview with Vatican state media on Tuesday, Parolin called for humanitarian aid to be delivered to Palestinians in Gaza, which is under a severe blockade imposed by Israel. He described the situation as one in which civilians are being starved.

“What is happening in Gaza is unacceptable. International humanitarian law must be applied to everyone,” he said.

READ: Pope Leo renews appeal for end to war, entrance of humanitarian aid to Gaza

“We call for an end to the bombardments and for the necessary aid to reach the population: I believe the international community must do everything possible to bring this tragedy to an end,” he added.

Since 2 March, Israel has imposed a systematic starvation policy on Gaza’s 2.4 million residents by closing border crossings to humanitarian aid, much of which is stuck at the border. The siege has pushed the territory into a state of famine and caused the deaths of many.

With absolute American support, “Israel” has been committing acts of genocide in Gaza since 7 October 2023, resulting in more than 177,000 Palestinians being killed or injured, most of them children and women, with over 11,000 missing and hundreds of thousands displaced.

WATCH: Dozens killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza shelter

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Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
Continue ReadingWhat is happening in Gaza is unacceptable, Vatican says

Pope Francis condemns Israeli ‘cruelty’ in Gaza

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https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20241221-pope-francis-condemns-israeli-cruelty-in-gaza

Pope Francis attends his weekly general audience in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, on August 07, 2024 [Riccardo De Luca/Anadolu Agency]

Pope Francis on Saturday condemned the recent Israeli air strikes on Gaza, expressing sorrow over the bombing of children in the Gaza Strip the previous day, Anadolu reports.

“Yesterday, children were bombed. This is not war. This is cruelty. I want to say this because it touches my heart,” he told members of the Roman Curia, the Vatican’s central administration.

He also lamented that Israeli air strikes had prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the highest representative of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, from entering Gaza.

Israel has killed more than 45,000 people, most of them women and children, in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, and reduced the territory to rubble.

On Nov. 21, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its military campaign in the enclave.

The pontiff has also called for an investigation to determine if Israel’s attacks in Gaza constitute genocide, according to excerpts from an upcoming new book.

READ: Israel leaves Palestinian bodies for stray dogs: Gaza Civil Defense

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Continue ReadingPope Francis condemns Israeli ‘cruelty’ in Gaza