Pope’s Call for Peace in Gaza and Disarmament

“Stop it, please! Stop!” During the Angelus prayer on Sunday, March 3, Pope Francis made another call for peace in the Gaza Strip.

“Every day I carry in my heart with pain the suffering of the people of Palestine and Israel because of the ongoing hostilities,” the Pontiff explained. “Thousands killed, wounded, displaced, immense destruction hurts, and it has terrible consequences on the small and defenseless who see their future jeopardized. I ask myself, do we really think we can build a better world this way, do we really think we can achieve peace?”

Pope Francis explained that negotiations must be constantly encouraged to ensure that there is an immediate ceasefire not only in Gaza but throughout the region, that hostages are immediately released and returned to their loved ones, and that civilians can have safe access to necessary and urgent humanitarian aid, also calling not to forget “the tormented Ukraine.”

On the occasion of the second International Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness Day, which falls on March 5, Pope Francis also recalled the enormous resources “wasted on military expenditures, which unfortunately, due to the current situation, continue to increase! I sincerely hope the international community realizes that disarmament is first and foremost a duty, disarmament is a moral obligation.”