Pope Francis condemned Hamas' terrorist attacks on Israel and pleaded with the militants to free their hostages unharmed, but he also expressed concern about Israel's tightening siege on Gaza and its impact on innocent civilians.
"I continue to follow with sorrow and apprehension
Pilgrims who were in Israel following a surprise terrorist attack by Hamas terrorists against civilian communities in southern Israel Oct. 7 light candles and say prayers of peace at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher as fighting continued in southern Israel.
Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on International Justice and Peace, called for prayers for peace in the Holy Land and decried the "continued tensions and violence that erupted into warfare between Gaza
Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem united in a call for peace and justice amid unfolding violence, following a surprise attack by Hamas in southern Israel, which has left around 600 Israelis dead, among them civilians and dozens of soldiers
"War is a defeat," Pope Francis insisted as he called for prayers for peace in Israel and Palestine.
Speaking to thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square Oct. 8 for the recitation of the Angelus prayer, the pope said he is following
The Vatican urged the international community to press for a "special statute" to guarantee religious freedom in the city of Jerusalem in any agreements regarding a peace deal between Israel and Palestine.
Addressing a ministerial-level meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General
In their Easter messages, Catholic patriarchs of the Middle East encouraged the hope of the Resurrection to triumph over suffering in the region.
Lebanese Cardinal Bechara Rai, Maronite patriarch of the Maronite Catholic church, lamented the economic, social and political crisis crippling Lebanon.
A unique multifaith center of worship encompassing a church, a synagogue and a mosque was inaugurated Feb. 16-19 in Abu Dhabi as an affirmation of the principles declared in the Document on Human Fraternity signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam
Saying they feel anguish that the Holy Land continues to be riled in "turmoil, bloodshed and fear," New Zealand's Catholic bishops called for a renewed effort to achieve lasting peace for "ordinary Palestinian peoples" and others living in the troubled land.
The bishops,
Although security issues in the Middle East have declined in recent years, the challenges that remain are "getting more complex, as we have entered a tunnel whose darkness has not yet subsided," Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan told the world's