Francisco called for an end to the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine
Pope Francis said on Monday (8), in a speech to the diplomatic corps in the Vatican, that attacks against civilians are “war crimes” and cited the conflicts in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip as examples.
In his speech, the leader of the Catholic Church stated that modern wars “do not only happen on the battlefields and do not only concern soldiers.”
“In a context in which the discernment between military and civilian objectives seems to no longer be respected, there is no conflict that does not end up affecting the civilian population in any way, indiscriminately,” the Pope told diplomats.
“The events in Ukraine and Gaza are clear proof of this. We cannot forget that serious violations of international humanitarian law are war crimes and that they must be avoided”, added Francisco, calling for greater “commitment” from the international community.
“Maybe we don’t realize that civilian casualties are not ‘collateral damage,’” he said.
Jorge Bergoglio also took the opportunity to strengthen the call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of all hostages from the fundamentalist group Hamas, without however mentioning the group by name. Furthermore, he called for Palestinians to have access to humanitarian aid and for hospitals, schools and places of worship “to have all the necessary protection.”
Then he said that it is necessary to “put an end to the ongoing tragedy” in Ukraine. “We cannot allow an increasingly worsening conflict to prolong, to the detriment of millions of people,” she underlined.
In the same speech, Francis also expressed concern for “the increase in acts of anti-Semitism observed in recent months” and the “growth of persecution against Christians”, as well as for the outbreaks of tension in the Americas.
“Although there are no open wars in the Americas, there are strong tensions between some countries, such as Venezuela and Guyana, and phenomena which, in others, such as Peru, compromise social harmony and weaken democratic institutions. The situation in Nicaragua also raises concern, a crisis that continues over time with painful consequences for the whole of society, especially for the Catholic Church”, he warned.
Source: Terra
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