After the midday Angelus, Pope Leo spoke about the worsening situation in the Holy Land and Mideast region: "a heartfelt appeal for a return to negotiations"
After his last midday Angelus of summer vacation in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo spoke about the worsening situation in the Middle East. He urged a return to negotiations as so many civilians continue to suffer the brunt of the conflict.
I continue to follow with deep concern the ongoing and escalating violence in the Holy Land, where, in recent days, many civilians, both in the West Bank and in Gaza, have once again fallen victim. I make a heartfelt appeal for a return to negotiations to achieve a just political solution, founded on the equal dignity and equal rights of every human person. At the same time, I urge the rejection of further military actions and unilateral decisions, especially those that violate the respect for and the status quo of the holy places of every religion.
I likewise renew my plea regarding the situation throughout the Middle East, where the intensification of military operations has again wreaked violence and destruction, endangering the lives of countless civilians and further aggravating the shortages of drinking water and electricity. From the depths of my heart, I exhort all parties involved to suspend the attacks and urgently reopen paths of dialogue and diplomacy, so that the longed-for peace for the entire region may be achieved without delay.
The Pope broadened his appeal to all people throughout the world suffering from war. "May the Lord touch the hearts and enlighten the minds of those in power, so that reconciliation and peace may soon prevail," he said.
At the same time, Pope Leo noted a light of hope from the Holy Land: the beatification of a leader of the Maronite Church.
Yesterday, in Lebanon, Elias Hoayek, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch from 1899 to 1931 and Founder of the Congregation of the Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family, was beatified. For more than thirty years, he led the Maronite Church with great dedication and pastoral sensitivity. A man of dialogue and hope, he was an outstanding ecclesial, social and political leader, so much so that he came to be known as the “Father of Greater Lebanon.” May the prayers and intercession of the new blessed always accompany the Maronite faithful throughout the world, and obtain the gift of peace for all the people of Lebanon, a country dear to my heart.
