Pope Francis called for a day of prayer and to mark the anniversary of the Hamas massacre in southern Israel with an "appeal for peace in the world."
“In this dramatic hour of our history,” Vatican News cited the Pope saying, “while the winds of war and the fires of violence continue to devastate entire peoples and nations,” the Christian community is reminded of its call to "put itself at the service of humanity."
Following this, the Catholic Church has joined the initiative worldwide, including in Haifa and the Galilee. In Madrid, the local church announced that all places of worship would ring their bells in memory of the victims.
Last year, before the massacre, Pope Francis urged Israelis and Palestinians to foster a "climate of trust." He said this in his traditional Easter blessing. The Pope also prayed for the Ukrainian and Russian peoples, calling for an end to the war.
A call for 'trust between individuals, peoples, and nations'
The 86-year-old Pope delivered his traditional speech in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican before tens of thousands of believers, encouraging "trust between individuals, peoples, and nations."
Referring to the security escalation in the region, the Pope called for the "renewal of dialogue in a climate of trust and mutual respect between Israelis and Palestinians, aiming for peace to prevail in the Holy City and throughout the region."
“Let us walk together,” the Pope said, according to Vatican News. “Let us listen to the Lord. And let us be led by the breeze of the Spirit.”