After praying the midday Regina Caeli on May 16, Pope Francis noted the increasingly grave situation in the Holy Land.
An attack on Gaza on Sunday morning was the deadliest so far, since the fighting began a week ago.
About 30% of the Palestinians killed in the fighting have been children. The Washington Post reported:
On Sunday morning, the Palestinian death toll climbed to 188, including 55 children. After a disabled Israeli man was killed in a Tel Aviv suburb on Saturday, the Israeli death toll rose to 10.
Here is what Pope Francis said:
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I am following with great concern what is happening in the Holy Land. In these days, there has been violent armed conflict between the Gaza Strip and Israel, and it risks degenerating into a spiral of death and destruction. Many people have been wounded, and many innocent people have died. Children have been among them, and this is terrible and unacceptable. Their death is a sign that there is not a desire to construct the future, but a desire to destroy.
As well, the increasing hate and violence that is affecting various cities of Israel is a grave wound to fraternity and the peaceful coexistence among citizens, which will be difficult to heal if we don’t open immediately to dialogue.
I ask myself, where will hate and revenge lead? Do we really think we can build peace by destroying the other? “In the name of God, who has created all human beings equal in rights, duties and dignity, and who has called them to live together as brothers and sisters, (cf Document on Human Fraternity), I call for calm, and to those who are responsible, that they silence the thunder of weapons and return to the paths of peace, also with the help of the International community.
Let us pray ceaselessly that Israelis and Palestinians can find the path of dialogue and forgiveness, to be patient builders of peace and justice, opening themselves, step by step, to a common hope, and coexistence as brothers.
Let us pray for the victims, especially the children. Let us pray for peace to the Queen of Peace. Hail Mary …
And today we celebrate...