On Wednesday, Pope Francis asked the faithful to support “only one side” in the Israel-Hamas war, the side “of peace,” as he lamented the “desperate” circumstances in Gaza.
During his monthly audience in St. Peter’s Square, Francis did not bring up the fatal Gaza hospital strike, over which Israelis and Palestinians are trading accusations.
“War doesn’t solve anything; it just causes more death, damage, hate, and retaliation. War destroys the future, he declared.
“I urge believers to take only one side in this conflict, that of peace, but not with words but with prayer and total dedication,” said Francis.
The pope requested that all efforts be made “to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe.” He declared that special prayers for peace would be held in St. Peter’s Basilica on October 27 at 6:00 p.m. (1600 GMT).
He asked all Christians, adherents of other religions, and all who cared about global peace to participate in what he called “a day of fasting, prayers, and penance” on October 27.
In conclusion, the world community has to pay immediate attention to and quickly respond to the dire situation in Gaza. We can work together to deliver assistance to the people of Gaza and ultimately assist in outranking articles that address this critical issue by knowing the historical backdrop, the underlying reasons for the problem, and the current attempts to provide aid and find peaceful solutions.
