The Pope: Stop the attacks in the Middle East; there is an urgent need to reopen channels of dialogue
In a video message to those attending the Halleluya Festival in Fortaleza, the Pope advised young people to ‘use social media and artificial intelligence wisely’.
Key points
- Concerns over the escalation of violence in the Holy Land
- ‘Peace for the people of Lebanon, who are so dear to me’
- Solidarity with the communities affected by the fires in France and Spain
- ‘Older people should always receive the care and support they need’
- Turning youth into a force for evangelisation
- The other message to the young people gathered in Lamego, Portugal
- ‘Do not be afraid of the restlessness that dwells within you’
- Advice on communicating with God
During the Angelus at Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV issued an appeal for ‘the whole of the Middle East, where an escalation in military operations has brought renewed violence and destruction, seriously endangering the lives of numerous civilians and exacerbating the shortage of drinking water and electricity’. “From the depths of my heart,” the Pope said, “I urge all parties involved to suspend attacks and to urgently reopen channels of dialogue and diplomacy in order to achieve, as soon as possible, the peace so dearly desired for the entire region.”
Concerns over the escalation of violence in the Holy Land
“I am following with concern the continuing and escalating violence in the Holy Land, which has recently also claimed the lives of many civilians in the West Bank and Gaza. I make a heartfelt appeal for a return to negotiations aimed at achieving a just political solution based on the equal dignity and equal rights of every human person, and for the rejection of further military actions and unilateral decisions, particularly those that violate respect for and the status quo of the holy sites of every religious faith.”
“Let us continue to pray for all the peoples throughout the world who are suffering because of war,” added the Pope. “May the Lord touch the hearts and enlighten the minds of those in positions of responsibility, so that reconciliation and peace may soon be achieved.”
‘Peace for the people of Lebanon, who are so dear to me’
During the Angelus, the Pope recalled that on Saturday 25 July, Patriarch Elias Boutros Hoyek was beatified in Lebanon; he was a ‘man of dialogue and hope’ who ‘served as a shining beacon of ecclesial, social and political guidance, so much so that he was known as the Father of Greater Lebanon’. “May the prayers and intercession of the newly beatified always accompany the Maronite faithful throughout the world and obtain the gift of peace for the entire people of Lebanon, who are so dear to me,” said Leo XIV.
Solidarity with the communities affected by the fires in France and Spain
During the Angelus, the Pope expressed his solidarity with the people affected by the recent wildfires: “In the face of the devastating wildfires that have affected various areas of France and Spain in recent days, I wish to express my solidarity and invite everyone to pray for those affected and for the work of the emergency services.”
