Without mentioning any particular aggressor, but after referring to conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, Pope Francis condemned breaches of humanitarian law in times of war during his Angelus address on January 5, 2025.
The Pontiff's condemnation came as an Iranian news agency claimed that the head of the Catholic Church had privately confided that Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu is acting in disregard of international law and human rights.
From the window of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, Pope Francis called for prayer for peace "in Ukraine, in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Myanmar, and Sudan."
"May the international community act firmly so that humanitarian law is respected in conflicts," he continued.
And then added:
"No more striking schools, hospitals; no more hitting workplaces! Let us not forget that war is always a defeat, always!"
International law
The Argentine Pope's appeal comes as an Iranian news agency revealed on Friday remarks allegedly made by the Pope during a private audience with Abolhassan Navab, the rector of Iran's University of Religions and Confessions.
“We don't have a problem with the Jews either, and our only problem is with Benyamin Netanyahu, who, disregarding international laws and human rights, has created crises in the region and in the world,” Pope Francis reportedly said during the interview.
As of yet, the Holy See has not commented on this report.
Pope Francis has often condemned attacks on civilians in Gaza and elsewhere. Last November, he suggested a study on the prospect of genocide happening in Gaza, in a book published in Italian about the Jubilee.
"According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide,” Pope Francis said in the book. “It should be carefully investigated to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies."
At the end of December, again during an Angelus address, the Pope was particularly forceful about the situation.
"Yesterday children were bombed," he said. "This is cruelty. This is not war. I wanted to tell you this because it touches my heart."
Since the attack on Israeli by Hamas Islamists on October 7, 2023, Pope Francis has made countless calls for a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages still held.
More broadly, the Holy See continues to call for the two-state solution as the longterm peace plan for the Holy Land, and advocates that Jerusalem be granted a special, internationally-recognized status.
