Over the past few years, there has been persistent conflict in Gaza...
And now the conflict has spread to Iran and surrounding countries. The Middle East is a votile region, and this worries the Roman Pontiff.
POPE LEO XIV
To the episodes of violence and devastation, and the widespread climate of hatred and fear, is added the fear that the conflict may expand.
Pope Leo XIV went on to express his concern about the situation in Lebanon, battered by attacks between Israel and the Islamist militia Hezbollah.
POPE LEO XIV
Let us raise our humble prayer to the Lord so that the roar of the bombs may cease, the weapons may fall silent, and space may open for dialogue in which the voice of the peoples can be heard.
This situation has been a growing concern for Rome for many years, as increased conflict only further weakens the position of Christians in the region, and may even cause the last of the Christian population to flee.
In Jerusalem, for example, the Latin Patriarch has always advocated for pilgrimages to continue whenever the situation allows. Many Christians in the Middle East live off a tourism economy, and war only further weakens this minority's income.
CARD. PIERBATTISTA PIZZABALLA
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
The pilgrimages give work to many Christians. Many families are able to live with dignity because of this work.
Welcoming millions of pilgrims gives us the experience of the universal Church, the embrace of the univeral Church in Jerusalem.
In recent years, the climate in the Middle East has become unbearable for Christians, a minority population suffocating after decades of violence and instability.
JRB
