Pope Leo XIV requested this Monday that “God grant the gift of peace and the tireless desire to always promote it” in a message sent to the Jewish community of Rome, at a time when the Israeli Army is immersed in its invasion of Gaza along with an intense campaign of aerial bombings.
“On the occasion of the upcoming celebrations of Rosh Hashanah 5786, Yom Kippur and Sukkot, I wish to express my warmest wishes to you and the entire Jewish community of Rome (…) May the Eternal, in his immense goodness, be close to your community and accompany all our efforts to deepen our friendship, in the city of Rome and throughout the world,” writes Leon XIV, the president of the Jewish community of Rome, Riccardo di Segni.
In his message, the pontiff also asks “that God, in his infinite mercy, grant us the gift of peace and the tireless desire to always promote it. Shalom alechem!”.
On the other hand, receiving the Discalced Carmelite Sisters of the Holy Land, he also recalled the “places sadly torn by hatred and violence” and again asked for peace in the region.
During the Sunday Angelus, the Pope also observed that “there is no future based on violence, forced exile, or revenge” when speaking about the situation in Gaza and expressed his gratitude “to the various Catholic associations committed to solidarity with the population.
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While last Wednesday during the general audience, Leo XIV expressed his “deep solidarity” with the Palestinian people in Gaza “who continue to live in fear and survive in unacceptable conditions, forced by force to once again abandon their lands”.
And then he renewed his call for “a ceasefire, the release of the hostages, a negotiated diplomatic solution and full respect for international humanitarian law”.
