Frail Pope Urges Peace In Israel After Deadly Clashes
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
JERUSALEM/VATICAN CITY/NOORDWIJK (Worthy News) – Pope Francis has appealed for peace “in the Holy City (of Jerusalem) and the entire region” as he presided over Easter Sunday Mass attended by an estimated 100,000 pilgrims.
The 86-year-old pontiff appeared in front of the crowd at the Vatican’s Saint Peter’s Square just days after being hospitalized for bronchitis.
Francis used the Mass to note his “deep concern” over a flare-up in tensions between Israel and Palestinians.
He said the renewed violence “threatens the desired climate of trust and mutual respect needed to resume dialogue.”
The pope called for a resumption of dialogue to ensure peace after Palestinians said Israeli police stormed the prayer hall of Al-Aqsa mosque, viewed as Islam’s third-holiest site.
The next day, more than 30 rockets were fired from Lebanese soil into Israel, which the Israeli army blamed on Palestinian groups, saying it was most likely Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.
SEVERAL ATTACKS
Israel then bombarded Gaza and southern Lebanon, targeting “terror infrastructures” that it said belonged to Hamas.
On Friday, two separate attacks left an Italian tourist and two British-Israeli sisters dead and several injured in Tel Aviv and the West Bank.
And Sunday, Israel launched artillery strikes on Syria in retaliation for rockets the army said were fired from there onto Israeli territory.
Francis made clear he was concerned about a surge in violence and unrest between Israel and Palestinians while the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Jewish Passover, and Christian Easter have coincided.
The Argentine pontiff also cited a string of other “stumbling blocks,” specifically mentioning the war in Ukraine.
“Help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey towards peace and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia,” he said.
“COMFORT WOUNDED”
“Comfort the wounded and all those who have lost loved ones because of the war, and grant that prisoners may return safe and sound to their families.”
He also drew attention to conflicts around the world, from Syria to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and offered prayers for victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
Stunning floral decorations donated by Dutch floriculturists formed the backdrop for Pope Francis’ Mass in Saint Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, continuing a tradition that began in 1985.
“We thank God for these beautiful plants and flowers. And we pray for God’s blessings over the transport and the drivers for a safe journey,” prayed Bishop Hans van den Hende of the Dutch port city of Rotterdam.
His prayers ahead of the flowers’ transport to the Vatican echoed last week through the Keukenhof, or Kitchen Garden, one of the world’s most extensive flower gardens.
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