07/18/2014 

Gaza: Francis telephones Peres and Abu Mazen

(©LaPresse)

(©LaPresse) The peace meeting in the Vatican

The Pope asked the two presidents “whom he considers to be men of peace” “to continue to pray” and appealed to all those with positions of responsibility “to bring an end to hostilities, making efforts to promote truce”

Iacopo Scaramuzzi Rome This morning Pope Francis  telephoned the President of Israel Shimon Peres at 10 am and the President of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) at 11:30 am, sharing his “very serious concerns regarding the current situation of conflict involving in particular the Gaza Strip,” the Vatican informs in a statement.


“Following last Sunday’s heartfelt appeal for continued prayer for peace in the Holy Land, this morning the Holy Father Francis personally telephoned President Shimon Peres of Israel and President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine to share his very serious concerns regarding the current situation of conflict involving in particular the Gaza Strip which, in a climate of growing hostility, hatred and suffering for the two populations, is claiming many victims and giving rise to a serious humanitarian emergency,” the statement reads. 

“As during his recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land and on the occasion of the invocation for peace on 8 June,” which the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew, also participated in, “ the Holy Father assured them of his ceaseless prayer, and that of all the Church, for peace in the Holy Land. He reminded the presidents, whom he considers to be men of peace and seekers of peace, of the need to continue to pray and endeavour to ensure that all the interested parties and those who hold political office at local and international level work to bring an end to hostilities, making efforts to promote truce, peace and reconciliation in the hearts of those involved.