During Sunday's Angelus, Pope Francis reiterated his appeal for peace in the Middle East and asked everyone to join for the day of prayer and fasting for peace on October 17th.
POPE FRANCIS
I renew my call for the release of the hostages and strongly urge that children, the sick, the elderly, women and all civilians not be victims of the conflict. Humanitarian law should be respected, especially in Gaza, where there is an urgent need to ensure humanitarian corridors and to rescue the entire population.
The Pope then expressed his great concern for the escalation of conflicts around the world.
POPE FRANCIS
Brothers and sisters, already so many have died. Please, let no more innocent blood be shed, neither in the Holy Land nor in Ukraine or anywhere else! Enough! Wars are always a defeat, always!
Pope Francis also called for peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, where he asked that at least the places of worship be respected.
Before saying goodbye to the thousands of faithful who were in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis expressed his closeness to the Jewish community of Rome, before the 80th anniversary of the raid of the Nazis in 1943.
JRB
TR: AT
