Pope Francis made a heartfelt appeal on Sunday 14th April following the Regina Coeli, when he called for a stop to any actions that may fuel the “spiral of violence” in the Middle East that risk plunging the region into an even wider war. The Pope said he is following with “prayer and concern, even sorrow” the news arriving in recent hours about the worsening situation in Israel following the intervention by Iran. He emphasised that nobody should threaten the existence of others, and that instead all nations should “take the side of peace”.
The Pope renewed his appeal for a ceasefire in Gaza and that the path of negotiation be pursued “with determination.” Recalling the suffering of the population in Gaza, “plunged into a humanitarian catastrophe,” he called for every effort to alleviate their suffering. He prayed that “the hostages kidnapped months ago be released!”
“So much suffering! Let us pray for peace. No more war, no more attacks, no more violence! Yes to dialogue and yes to peace!”
The Pope also renewed his prayers for children around the world who are suffering due to the many wars in our world, mentioning in particular Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Myanmar. He called on everyone to pray for them and for peace in our world.
