Speaking at the close of Mass in St Peter’s Square, Pope Leo condemns both the “immense suffering” of Gazans and the rise of “antisemitic hatred” worldwide, and expresses his hope that an Israel-Hamas peace deal will be finalised “as soon as possible”.
By Joseph Tulloch
Pope Leo XIV has called on political leaders to “commit themselves” to the ongoing Israel-Hamas peace negotiations, which he said have recently shown “significant steps forward”.
The Pope expressed his hope that the deal would be finalised “as soon as possible”, and urged his listeners to “remain united in prayer” for a “just and lasting peace”.
In his remarks, delivered at the close of Mass in St Peter’s Square, the Pope said he “continue[d] to be saddened” by the “immense suffering” of Palestinians in Gaza, and greeted a group of pilgrims from Bethlehem.
He also voiced his concern over “the rise of antisemitic hatred in the world”, mentioning in particular Thursday’s attack on a synagogue in Manchester, England.
READ THE FULL TEXT OF POPE LEO’S REMARKS HERE
Pope Leo greets the crowds gathered for Mass (@Vatican Media)
Church is ‘entirely missionary’
In his remarks, delivered at the end of Mass for the Jubilee of Missionaries and Migrants, Pope Leo also thanked attendees for their presence, despite the light rain.
“The Church is entirely missionary,” Pope Leo said, noting that “our missionary and migrant brothers and sisters remind us of this.”
He added that “no one should be forced to flee, nor exploited or mistreated because of their situation as foreigners or people in need! Human dignity must always come first.”
Finally, the Pope also said he was praying for the victims of the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that struck the Phillipines on Tuesday.
“I express my closeness to the dear Filipino people,” he said, urging those faced with danger to “remain united and supportive”.
