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Pope Francis Calls For Immediate Ceasefire In Gaza During His Easter Sunday Address

Aastha Trivedi
Main image of Pope Francis.

Aastha Trivedi

On 31st March, Pope Francis pledged an immediate end to the Israeli-Hamas war to the Vatican City.

He also urged for the release of any Israeli civilians being withheld by Hamas.

EASTER SUNDAY

Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus after his crucifixion and is enormously significant in the Christian religious calendar. It is seen as a day in the Christian calendar to rejoice with loved ones and give condolences to those who have suffered the calamities of war.

It is a day that echoes the importance of hope in the face of suffering, and the Pontiff traditionally addresses pervading global issues in his speeches. This year, Pope Francis’ Easter address called for peace between Israel and Palestine through a ceasefire in Gaza.

In the past, the Pope has addressed affairs in Ukraine, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He is seen as a beacon of hope to 1.3 billion people worldwide.

“WAR IS ALWAYS ABSURDITY AND A DEFEAT”

The Pontiff is now 87 years old.

Despite his ill health, which had prevented him from speaking at the Rome Colosseum on Good Friday, Pope Francis greeted a crowd of 60,000 people on Easter Sunday from the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in St Peter’s Square, where he presented his “Urbi et Orbi,” otherwise known as “to the city and the world.”

In his appeal, he said: “I appeal once again that access to humanitarian aid be ensured to Gaza, and call once more for the prompt release of the hostages seized on last October 7 and for an immediate ceasefire in the Strip.”

He spoke also of other conflicts abroad, listing concerns for those suffering in Syria due to longterm wars, and others in Lebanon who have been affected by border wars since the outbreak in Gaza.

He further prayed for bloodshed to end in Haiti, for persecutions of the Rohingya ethnic minority to end in Myanmar, and for the suffering of Sudanese citizens to end in Africa.

He said: “How much suffering we see in their eyes. With those eyes, they ask us: Why? Why all this death? Why all this destruction? War is always an absurdity and a defeat.”

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Featured image courtesy of Catholic Church England and Wales on Flickr. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.

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