Pope Leo XIV and Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke by telephone Dec. 17, just days after a terrorist attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Australia led to the deaths of 15 people.
Israel Palestine
Posted inThe Weekly Dispatch
Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem brings hope and help to West Bank Christians
Economic and political conditions for West Bank Christians have grown dire, but Holy Family Hospital remains a beacon of hope and faith.
Posted inVatican Dispatch
Pope Leo meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
Pope Leo XIV and the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, recognized the “urgent need to provide assistance to the civilian population in Gaza and to end the conflict by pursuing a two-state solution,” when they met for the first time in the Vatican this morning, Nov. 5.
Posted inNews
Pope Leo condemns antisemitism and vows to fight it as tensions rise over Israel’s war in Gaza
At a time of rising antisemitism stemming from Israel’s war, Leo adopted as his own the Vatican’s official position abhorring antisemitism as he marked the 60th anniversary of a landmark Vatican document that revolutionized the Catholic Church’s relations with Jews.
Posted inThe Weekly Dispatch
Catholic Relief Services is on the ground in Gaza as humanitarian surge begins
Winter shelters and clean water will be top priorities for Catholic Relief Services as massive humanitarian effort begins in Gaza.
Posted inPodcasts
Has Pope Leo’s honeymoon ended? U.S. Catholics push back.
Pope Leo faces criticism from some U.S. Catholics over his consistent pro-life ethic and advocacy for migrants.
Posted inNews
Amid historic deal, Gaza pastor says little is left after ‘tsunami’ of destruction
Palestinians have returned to see only mostly rubble in Gaza City as hundreds of aid trucks slowly made their way out of a gigantic Rafah crossing queue on Oct. 12.
Posted inVatican Dispatch
Pope Leo pleads for a just peace as cease-fire in Gaza holds
As ceasefire in Gaza holds, Pope Leo XIV urges a just and lasting peace in the Holy Land and the ’disarming’ of our hearts.
Posted inNews
Pope Leo urges news agencies to stand as bulwark against lies, manipulation and post-truths
Pope Leo XIV encouraged international news agencies on Thursday to stand firm as a bulwark against the “ancient art of lying” and manipulation, as he strongly backed a free, independent and objective press.
Posted inNews
Holy Land patriarch welcomes announcement of initial Israel-Hamas peace deal ‘with joy’ as ‘first step’
“The Patriarchate ardently hopes that this accord will be fully and faithfully implemented, so that it may mark the beginning of the end of this terrible war,” the patriarchate said in the statement.