This Sunday in Saint Peter’s Square in the Vatican, the Pope Francisco led the traditional easter mass and when giving the blessing “City and World” manifested his “deep concern” by the escalation of violence that is taking place in places like the Middle East, calling on the international community to “put an end to this war and to all the conflicts that bloody the world”.
Francisco referred to about twenty countriesamong them highlighted violence in Nicaragua and poverty in Haitiwith a special mention to Syria and Türkiyewhich in February suffered devastating earthquakes that caused more than 56,000 deaths.
In the case of Haiti, he noted that “has been suffering for several years from a serious socio-political and humanitarian crisis” and recognized the effort of the international community to find a solution to the “problems that afflict this population.”
As for Nicaragua when it sent a special message to the persecuted “Christian communities that celebrate Easter in particular circumstances” and reminded “who are prevented from freely and publicly professing their faith”.
The Pope, whose health is increasingly fragile and uses a wheelchair due to knee pain, he presided over the Easter mass before touring the square in his popemobile. On Saturday night, he had led the Easter Vigil Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome for two and a half hours, in the presence of some 8,000 people.
Violence broke out again in Israel, with bombing attacks on Gaza and southern Lebanon
The words of the Vatican leader were followed by more than 100.000 personas from Saint Peter’s Square, and in his message he referred to the scenes left by the violent intervention of the Israeli Police in the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem that took place last Wednesday.
Within the framework of these postcards of the eternal confrontation between Palestinians and Israelis, the Pontiff lamented the escalation of violence, which showed the eviction of the Palestinian faithful in the midst of religious ceremonies and celebrations, a situation that unleashed a wave of condemnations and increased tensions in the region.
Likewise, the Israeli army announced last Sunday that it had attacked Syria in response to the launch of rockets against the annexed Golan Heights after having received several similar attacks since the Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
In this sense, according to Israel, the shots fired from southern Lebanon were from palestinian origindespite the fact that they were not claimed, and specifically targeted Hamas, the Islamist movement that governs the Gaza Strip.
In addition, last Friday there were two anti-israeli attacks that left a balance of three fatalities in Tel Aviv and in west bankterritory occupied by Israel since 1967.
Haiti and Nicaragua
On the other hand, in the framework of the ceremony for Easter Sunday, the Pope also mentioned Haiticountry that “has been suffering for several years from a serious socio-political and humanitarian crisis”he pointed out, at the same time that he recognized the effort of the international community to solve the problems that afflict this population.
In turn, the Supreme Pontiff also made a special mention for Nicaraguawhere he addressed the Christian communities that are forced to celebrate Easter in “particular circumstances” given that “they are prevented from freely and publicly professing their faith”.
AFP/AS/HB
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