Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
Gerard O’ConnellJanuary 29, 2023
Israeli security personnel work at a scene where a suspected incident of shooting attack took place, police spokesman said, just outside Jerusalem's Old City Jan. 28, 2023.

Pope Francis today made an urgent, passionate appeal to the Israeli and Palestinian governments, and to the international community, to find ways “immediately and without delay” to dialogue and search for the attainment of peace in the Holy Land.

He did so as he greeted thousands of pilgrims at midday on Sunday, Jan.29, and drew their attention to the violence and killings that have rocked the Holy Land over the past week.

“With great sorrow I received the news that comes from the Holy Land, in particular of the news of the deaths of 10 Palestinians, including a woman, killed by actions of the Israeli anti-terrorism forces in Palestine, and of what happened near Jerusalem on Friday evening when seven Israeli Jews were killed by a Palestinian, and three were wounded coming out from the synagogue,” he said.

According to Al Jazeera, the Palestinian Ministry for Health said nine Palestinians were killed in the Jenin refugee camp, including an elderly woman, and 20 others were wounded with live ammunition, four of them in critical condition, when Israeli forces raided the area, on Jan. 26. In addition, a 22-year-old Israeli man was shot by the Israel forces in the town of al-Ram, north of Jerusalem. 

The BBC reported that seven Israelis were killed and at least three injured by a Palestinian gunman as they gathered for prayer at a synagogue in East Jerusalem on Friday evening, Jan. 27, at the start of the Jewish Sabbath. It said the gunman was shot dead at the scene. Israeli police have arrested 42 people since the attack.

“The sowing of killing that takes place day by day does nothing except close the few openings of trust that exist between the two peoples,” Pope Francis said.

He recalled that “since the beginning of the year tens of Palestinians have been killed in the gunfire clashes with the Israeli forces.” The BBC report that “since the start of January, 30 Palestinians, both militants and civilians, have been killed in the [occupied] West Bank.”

Pope Francis: “With great sorrow I received the news that comes from the Holy Land.”

Pope Francis concluded by issuing a heartfelt appeal to the Israeli and Palestinian governments and the international community to take action immediately.  

“I appeal to the two governments and to the international community that they find immediately, without delay, other ways that lead to dialogue and the search for the attainment of peace,” he said. His appeal reflects his deep concern, one shared by many observers, that the situation in the Holy Land could deteriorate rapidly into a wider conflict, given that Israel now is governed by the most right-wing government in its history.

The pope invited people to pray that his appeal be heard. “Brothers and sisters, let us pray for this,” he said.

We don’t have comments turned on everywhere anymore. We have recently relaunched the commenting experience at America and are aiming for a more focused commenting experience with better moderation by opening comments on a select number of articles each day.

But we still want your feedback. You can join the conversation about this article with us in social media on Twitter or Facebook, or in one of our Facebook discussion groups for various topics.

Or send us feedback on this article with one of the options below:

We welcome and read all letters to the editor but, due to the volume received, cannot guarantee a response.

In order to be considered for publication, letters should be brief (around 200 words or less) and include the author’s name and geographic location. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

We open comments only on select articles so that we can provide a focused and well-moderated discussion on interesting topics. If you think this article provides the opportunity for such a discussion, please let us know what you'd like to talk about, or what interesting question you think readers might want to respond to.

If we decide to open comments on this article, we will email you to let you know.

If you have a message for the author, we will do our best to pass it along. Note that if the article is from a wire service such as Catholic News Service, Religion News Service, or the Associated Press, we will not have direct contact information for the author. We cannot guarantee a response from any author.

We welcome any information that will help us improve the factual accuracy of this piece. Thank you.

Please consult our Contact Us page for other options to reach us.

City and state/province, or if outside Canada or the U.S., city and country. 
When you click submit, this article page will reload. You should see a message at the top of the reloaded page confirming that your feedback has been received.

The latest from america

Jesuit Father Andriy Zelinskyy, coordinator of military chaplains for the Ukrainian Catholic Church, is pictured in a 2018 photo.
When reflecting on the life, death and resurrection of the Lord while living in a state of military invasion and active war, “everything becomes more authentic,” and “God ceases to be just a concept,” says Andriy Zelinskyy, S.J. “He really becomes a source of life and all hope for you and for
PreachMarch 17, 2024
One study showed Catholics donated the least amount of money of all denominations surveyed.
Kevin ClarkeMarch 15, 2024
Bishop Luis Manuel Alí Herrera and Teresa Morris Kettlekamp will lead the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
Gerard O’ConnellMarch 15, 2024
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that exemptions that allow religious organizations to avoid paying Wisconsin’s unemployment tax don’t apply to a Catholic charitable organization.