The Pope was increasingly speaking out about Israeli military campaigns in Gaza before he was hospitalized with pneumonia.
During the fleeting appearance, Pope Francis called for a ceasefire in Gaza before thousands of Catholic pilgrims gathered at St. Peters Square for the Vatican’s outdoor Easter Sunday Masa.
The 88-year-old bishop, still recovering from a near-fat match with double pneumonia, appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Cathedral on Sunday as his aide read out his “Latin to the City and the World,” a “Latin to the City and the World,” which Pope condemned “a humanitarian situation that is prone to depletion.”
“I am expressing my close proximity to the suffering of all Israelis and Palestinians,” the message said.
The Pope also called on the Palestinian armed group Hamas to release the remaining prisoners, accusing what he said of the “worrisome” tendency of anti-Semitism in the world. “I appeal to the fighting parties. I will call ceasefires, free hostages, and help the hungry people seeking a future of peace.”
Before his last five-week stay at Gemeri Hospital in Rome, Francis escalated criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, calling the situation “very serious and shameful.”
Francis, who had been ordered by a doctor to observe his recovery for two months since leaving the hospital on March 23, would have normally hosted the entire event, but on this occasion he was replaced by Cardinal Angelo Comastori.
In a report from the Vatican, James Bayes of Al Jazeera said:
Bayes questioned whether Francis was following the advice of his doctors, who made “a recent brief appearance,” including a visit to a Roman prison.
Asked after the visit what he felt about this Easter week in his current state, the Pope replied, “I live as much as I can.”
Vance visit
Meanwhile, the Vatican said in a statement that Francis held a private meeting with US Vice President JD Vance on Sunday morning to exchange Easter greetings.
On Saturday, Vance spoke with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, and Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary of ties with the Holy Sea nation.
Vance’s visit came just two months after being spitted through the policies of Francis and US President Donald Trump. This includes plans to deport millions of migrants and refugees, as well as extensive cuts to foreign aid and domestic welfare programs.
Calling immigration crackdowns “stigma,” the Pope refused to attempt to use Vance’s medieval Catholic teachings to justify the policy in an unusual open letter to American Catholic bishops.
“jd vance [was] You are trying to interpret a particular theology as saying you should take care of those closest to you before worrying abroad. The Pope then wrote to our bishop and said, “No, we need to think about everyone,” Bayes said.
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