Pope Leo XIV

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Card. Robert Prevost, OSA

An Augustinian and an American.

Habemus Papam!



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The Money-Quotes:

ROME — Pope Leo XIV Wednesday appealed for an end to hostilities in both Ukraine and Gaza, asking for dialogue, the cessation of violence, the freedom of Israeli hostages and for humanitarian law to be respected.

Speaking at the close of his May 28 general audience, the pope said that his thoughts in recent days “often go to the Ukrainian people, struck by new, serious attacks against civilians and infrastructure.”

“I assure my closeness and my prayers for all victims, especially for children and families,” he said.

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Pope Leo XIV in his remarks Wednesday “I forcefully renew the appeal to stop the war and to support every initiative for dialogue and peace,” and he asked the world to join him “in praying for peace in Ukraine and wherever there is suffering from war.”

To this end, he also issued an appeal for peace in Gaza, lamenting the impact the conflict has had on children, in particular.

“From the Gaza Strip, the cries of mothers and fathers rise ever more intensely to heaven, as they hold the lifeless bodies of children, and who are continually forced to move in search of a little food and a safer shelter from the bombings,” he said.

The plea was a reference to the roughly 180,000 Palestinians who have been displaced seeking new places of shelter since Israel launched a fresh, intensified military offensive two weeks ago, according to the United Nations led Global Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Cluster.

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Spoiler

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With deaths and hunger increasing and no clear solution in sight, Pope Leo Wednesday asked all those in positions of responsibility to “cease fire, let all the hostages be freed, let humanitarian law be fully respected!”

“Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us!” he said, asking for her intercession in obtaining an end to the conflicts.

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The Money-Quotes:

Pope Leo XIV expressed “great concern” on June 14 as the conflict between Israel and Iran deteriorated seriously following Israeli airstrikes on Iran Thursday evening, Iran’s retaliatory drone and missile barrage Friday, and continued armed exchanges between the two sides over the next 24 hours.

“In such a delicate moment, I strongly wish to renew an appeal to responsibility and to reason,” the pope said, calling the international community to prevent the situation from developing into a wider war. “It is the duty of all countries to support the cause of peace, initiating paths of reconciliation and promoting solutions that guarantee security and dignity for all.”

The U.S.-born pope called for a “commitment to build a world that is safer and free from the nuclear threat” through “respectful encounter and sincere dialogue, in order to build lasting peace, founded on justice, fraternity and the common good.”

His reference to the “nuclear threat” was significant because Israel had carried out a long-planned attack on an Iranian nuclear enrichment facility at Natanz, which killed several Iranian nuclear scientists — something it has also done in past years.

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Spoiler

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The Israeli attack came a day after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a resolution — approved by 19 votes in favor, 3 against, and 11 abstentions — declaring Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in 20 years, and indicating that the matter could be referred to the UN Security Council.

“The situation in Iran is deeply concerning. Nuclear facilities must never be attacked,” said the IAEA Rafael Grossi, the director general of the IAEA. “Dialogue and diplomacy are the only way forward — for Iran, for Israel, the entire region, and the international community.” Mr Grossi added, “I’m ready to travel to Iran at the earliest to assess the situation and ensure safety, security and non-proliferation.”

“No one should ever threaten the existence of the other,” Pope Leo said, in what appeared to be a reference to repeated remarks by Iranian leaders calling for the annihilation of Israel.

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