In less than three weeks as pope, Leo XIV has already made several poignant appeals for peace in Gaza. At the end of the general audience this May 28, he made another:
The cry of mothers, of fathers who clutch the lifeless bodies of children and who are continually forced to move in search of a little food and safer shelter from bombing, rises ever more intensely to the sky.
I renew my appeal to the leaders: cease fire, release all hostages, fully respect humanitarian law. Mary Queen of Peace, pray for us.
The situation in Gaza continues to worsen each day, but more and more voices are growing in protest. From the Vatican just this week, the Pope's Secretary of State called the situation "unacceptable," and insisted that international humanitarian law must be respected.
Also in the pages of Vatican Media, a voice from the Custody of the Holy Land highlighted the unfathomable situation of a family that lost nine of 10 children in one air strike, leaving alive just one 11-year-old boy, Adam.
For his part, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa made another appeal last week.
For Cardinal Pizzaballa, "we cannot afford the luxury of giving up or standing still" when it comes to this conflict.
Christians, he said, "must do everything possible to bring help" to the people in Gaza. The Gaza Strip has three Christian churches with one Catholic parish.
While aid to Gaza is currently restricted by Israel, donations can be made to the Custody of the Holy Land.
