Pope Leo XIV appealed to Israel and Hamas to stop the violence that has caused “so much terror, destruction and death.”
Israel
Gaza’s Christian Community Persevering Amid Hardship and Hope
The parish priest of Gaza Strip’s small Christian community spoke to Vatican Radio amid tragedy after tragedy unfolding in the enclave, with at least 32 people killed by Israeli strikes only on July 13, including six children at a water collection point.
‘Stop the Tragedy of War,’ Pope Says After US Bombs Iran
Hours after the United States bombed the sites of three nuclear-enrichment facilities in Iran, Pope Leo XIV called the situation in the Middle East “alarming” and said diplomacy was the only responsible way forward.
US Bombs Iran Nuclear Sites as Pope Leo XIV, Bishops Plead for Peace
The U.S. has attacked three nuclear facilities in Iran, in a move that comes amid repeated pleas from Pope Leo XIV and other church leaders for peace and dialogue in ending multiple conflicts throughout the world, including that between Israel and Iran.
Pope Urges Peace, Warns Against Escalation in Middle East Conflict
As conflict in the Middle East escalated with Israeli airstrikes on nuclear sites in Iran and retaliatory drone attacks on Israel, Pope Leo XIV appealed for restraint and renewed the church’s calls for nuclear disarmament and peaceful dialogue.
Pope Francis Speaks to Catholics in Gaza Parish After Ceasefire
Pope Francis said the people who have been trapped in a parish in Gaza had a decent meal for the first time in a long time after a ceasefire was established between Israel and Hamas.
Holy Land Catholic Leaders: End of Gaza War Is Not End of Conflict
As Israel and Hamas near a ceasefire, Catholic ordinaries in the Holy Land said the deal is a necessary step but also acknowledged that more has to happen to “credibly address the deep-rooted issues” at the core of the conflict.
Catholics in Lebanon Are Caught in the Middle of War
“You have your Lebanon and its dilemma. I have my Lebanon and its beauty.” Those prophetic words were written by Kahlil Gibran in the 1920s, and some believe they may be truer today than ever before.
Columbia’s Catholic Chaplain Promotes Peace
As the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel approached, there was a sense of calm at Columbia University — a sharp contrast to last spring, when protests rocked the campus and led the university’s president to resign. Now, with the start of Israel’s incursion into Lebanon and Iran’s subsequent missile attack on Israel, there is concern that the campus could once again see protests. Members of the Columbia University community, however, don’t expect any new demonstrations to reach the same scale as those last spring, according to Father Roger Landry, the university’s Catholic chaplain.
Cardinal Dolan Forced to Take Shelter Amid Iranian Attack on Israel
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York said April 14 he and those he traveled with to the Holy Land “feel safe and secure” in Bethlehem after they were forced to take shelter the night before when Iran launched a missile attack against Israel.