Pope Francis renewed his call to help the “war-devastated” population of Gaza and encouraged ceasefire negotiations and the release of hostages to progress, “for the good of Palestinians and Israelis,” after the prayer of the Sunday Angelus this June 9 in the Vatican.
The Holy Father welcomed the announcement of an international conference in Jordan, on Tuesday, June 11, on the emergency humanitarian response in Gaza, an initiative of the King of Jordan, Abdullah II; the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattá al Sisi; and the Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterres.
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In that sense, Pope Francis encouraged “the international community to act urgently, with all means, to help the population of Gaza, devastated by war. Humanitarian aid must be able to reach those who need it and no one can prevent it.”
The Pontiff also recalled that yesterday, June 8, marked 10 years since the Invocation for Peace in the Vatican, which was attended by the Israeli President, the late Shimon Peres, and the Palestinian President, Abu Mazen.
“This meeting testifies that it is possible to shake hands, and that to make peace it takes courage, much more courage than to make war,” Pope Francis stressed.
“Therefore, I encourage the ongoing negotiations between the parties, even if they are not easy, and I hope that the proposals for peace, for a ceasefire on all fronts and for the release of the hostages, will be accepted immediately for the good of the people.” Palestinians and Israelis,” the Holy Father highlighted.
According CNNIn the last few hours, Israel rescued four hostages in Gaza, in an operation that, according to Palestinian health authorities, left more than 200 dead in the central area of Gaza. Furthermore, the same authorities claim, without offering evidence, that Israel would have killed some hostages during the rescue operation.
“And let us not forget the martyred Ukrainian people, who suffer more and yearn more for peace. I greet this Ukrainian group with the flags that are there. We are close to you! ”Pope Francis continued as he greeted a group of pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square.
“It is a desire, this is for peace, which is why I encourage all the efforts that are being made so that peace can be built as soon as possible, with international help. And let us not forget Myanmar,” she concluded.
Walter Sánchez Silva
I have been a husband since 2008. My wife and I have three children here and one who went to heaven in 2023, before he was born. Since I joined ACI Prensa in 2005, I have had the opportunity to cover various events of the Catholic Church. Among them, the World Youth Days in Cologne, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro and the apostolic trips of Pope Benedict XVI to Mexico and of Pope Francis to South Korea. I have been sent to the Vatican to cover the Family synods, in 2015; of the Amazon, in 2019 and that of Synodality, in 2023. I closely follow the situation of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, which suffers persecution from the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega, as well as current ecclesiastical events in the region.