Text: Vatican News
Pope calls for an end to the "heavy bombing in Gaza".
As he prepares to return to the Vatican after treatment for double pneumonia, Pope Francis renews his call for peace. He urges an end to the violence in the Gaza Strip and other conflict zones and expresses his gratitude for the global efforts to achieve peace. Dialog,especially in the South Caucasus.
By Francesca Merlo
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March 23, 2025
Welcome back, Holy Father!
Pope Francis appeared at the window of the Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Sunday – his first public appearance after five weeks in the hospital. He greeted and blessed the more than 3,000 people who had gathered in the hospital courtyard. Many of them carried colorful flowers and "Welcome Back" signs. His Sunday address was read by television and radio commentators and distributed to journalists. In it, he appealed to the population to lay down their weapons.
A call for peace
In his prepared message of greeting, the Pope addressed the day's Gospel reading and used it to draw attention to the immense suffering of the people in Gaza and all those worldwide who are suffering from the consequences of the war.
Throughout his hospital stay, the Pope tirelessly raised his voice for peace in prepared texts that were read before the Angelus prayer published in St. Peter's Square.
Appeal for Gaza
On Sunday, shortly before his scheduled return to the Casa Santa Marta to begin his two-month convalescence, Pope Francis prayed for the people of Palestine and wrote: “I am saddened by the resumption of heavy Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip, which is causing many deaths and injuries. I call for an immediate ceasefire and ask for the courage to resume dialogue so that all hostages can be released and a lasting ceasefire can be achieved.”
"I call for an immediate ceasefire and ask for the courage to..." dialog to resume negotiations so that all hostages can be released and a final ceasefire can be achieved.”
He went on to highlight the “very serious” humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and warned that the parties to the conflict and the international community urgently needed to take action.
Gratitude for steps toward peace in Armenia and Azerbaijan
Pope Francis expressed his gratitude for the steps taken towards peace in the South Caucasus, where Armenia and Azerbaijan are working towards a final peace agreement.
“May this be a sign of hope,” he prayed, “that other conflicts, too, will find a way to be resolved through dialogue and goodwill.”
Gospel of Patience
The day's Gospel reading refers to the image of the barren fig tree that was not cut down in the hope that it would still bear fruit. This, the Pope said, is how God looks at humanity: with compassion, with patience and with a love that never tires. In the face of all suffering, but also all hope, “we are called to practice the same patience in our daily lives, especially in times of need and uncertainty,” the Pope said.
At the conclusion of his address, the Holy Father once again prayed for the intercession of the Virgin Mary and asked her to guide the Church and the world on the path of peace. He called on the faithful to join him in praying for peace, “especially in troubled Ukraine, in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.”
“Pray for peace in afflicted Ukraine, in Palestine, Israel, in Lebanon, in Myanmar, in Sudan and in the Democratic Republic of Congo.”
As he prepares for his recovery, Pope Francis did not forget all those who have accompanied him in their prayers. "I feel your closeness," he said warmly, thanking the faithful for their support and assuring them of his own prayers.
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Marginal notes, comments, glosses
The buzzword is already being used here. dialog
The Second Vatican Council established interreligious dialogue. I consider it right and important, provided it is carried out correctly. I have already addressed this elsewhere.
dialogBut it has little to do with the secular
dialog Regarding peacemaking. Secular dialogue can be defined as follows: Dialogue consists of conversations with the honest aim of seeking a compromise that forms the basis for a ceasefire or peace. This dialogue has nothing to do with interreligious discussion, which can also be an end in itself. Let's take, for example, the war in Ukraine. It also has religious reasons, which we discuss in the Hafis TV variety show. The religious reasons are very minor and only come into play when combined with nationalist reasons. Both warring parties had the exact same religion until 1990. Putin believes that if the majority of a region wants to belong to Russia, it has the right to do so. Should Zelinskyi, Merz, and German Christians hold the original fascist opinion that Ukraine, like Greenland, actually belongs to the USA? Nevertheless, they are at odds. A case for the Leo TV variety show.
the
A call for peace
It arose in a situation that we want to understand.
Here the Agelus prayer and implicitly the secular Angelus message mentioned.
dthe faithful of Pope Francis
They would like to distribute them before March 23rd.
Background, situation in Gaza:
The terrorists, led by Netanyahu, had broken the ceasefire and were now bombing Gaza, bombing it in an attempt to pressure Hamas into killing a hostage. The terrorists could have exploited this for propaganda purposes, furthering their goal of creating a Greater Israel. At that point, it was clear:
will defend itself for a long time. The plan to turn the Gaza Strip into a new Riviera had failed. Had Netanyahu misinformed Trump? And as a friend of Hamas and the Palestinian people, the brilliant diplomat Erdogan emerged as president. The Pope knew and admired Erdogan.
We assume that Pope Francis knew the background of the people he terrorists He called it that. At first glance, the speech of March 23rd might seem strange. But let's consider: Pope Francis wanted to change the world through diplomacy. And within diplomacy is the dialogue that dialog Important. And it can't work if the partner in the dialogue is labeled a terrorist, a terrorist wanted for genocide. (The wanted notice is official; Netanyahu and his cronies know this. Pope Francis must address this.) diplomatic dialogue Don't repeat that. A pleasant atmosphere should be created during the negotiations. Hermann Göring was very good at that when he personally selected a salami for Mussolini. Pope Francis He could certainly have done that too. Perhaps he could even come from the kitchen himself. kosher Get Macedonian salami made from water buffalo meat, to which some donkey meat has also been added for seasoning.
Armenia and Azerbaijan
The prerequisite is that both parties have the will for peace. This was the case with Armenia and Azerbaijan. At what instigation did the two sides meet? At the instigation of President Erdogan. This could only work because Pope Francis bridged the tensions between Armenians and Turks.
The problem in Gaza: Netanyahu and his cronies don't want peace. War arises from further killings of Palestinians. Therefore, the IDF must be separated from the Palestinians by force of arms. For example, by 2,000 brave Indonesians.
Now comes the reference to the again compassionI had invested a year of my remaining life in trying to save the life of a hostage.Out of mercy, of course.
