Pope Leo XIV delivers his blessing as he recites the Angelus noon prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
The remarks mark a sharp escalation in the pope’s advocacy, which has intensified in recent months following a July airstrike that struck Gaza’s only Catholic church.
Pope Leo XIV delivered one of his strongest appeals yet for peace in Gaza on Sunday, denouncing the forced displacement of civilians and warning that no future can be built on “violence, forced exile, or revenge.”
Speaking to thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his weekly Angelus prayer, the pontiff said he stood in solidarity with Christians in the Holy Land and with all those suffering under Israel’s military campaign in Gaza’s largest city. His words drew sustained applause from the crowd.
“Alongside the pastors of the churches in the Holy Land, I repeat that there is no future based on violence, forced exile, or revenge,” the pope declared. “Peoples need peace. Those who truly love them work for peace.”
The remarks mark a sharp escalation in the pope’s advocacy, which has intensified in recent months following a July airstrike that struck Gaza’s only Catholic church.
On Sunday, he once again described the enclave as a “martyred land,” expressing deep concern for the civilian population after nearly two years of war.
Addressing Catholic associations carrying banners that read “peace for Gaza,” Pope Leo praised grassroots initiatives to aid families trapped by the conflict and urged world leaders to reject “the logic of reprisals.”
Instead, he called for reconciliation, dialogue, and humanitarian relief.
“The international community must not tire of seeking a just and lasting solution,” he said. “Only through peace can the suffering of these innocent people finally end.”
His appeal comes as Israel presses its offensive against Hamas in Gaza, amid mounting global criticism over the scale of civilian casualties and mass displacement.
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