Pope Leo XIV, calls for Humaniterian aid to be allowed into war torn Gaza.
“I renew my appeal to allow the entry of dignified humanitarian aid and to put an end to the hostilities, whose heartbreaking price is paid by the children, elderly and the sick,” the first American pope declared.
The Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV made this fervent call during his first general audience as pope on Wednesday May 21st in St. Peter’s Square.
This call comes as Isreali troops intensified attacks on the Gaza Strip, killing hundreds and blocking aid from entering the area for 11 weeks.
It was until Monday, that five trucks were allowed out of the over 500 trucks that authorities say are required each day to sustain the population, causing a humanitarian catastrophy with intense hunger and misery.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “intolerable” as he stressed on Tuesday, that aid needs to enter the strip “at pace.”
The pope was speaking at the start of the weekly event, that will hold almost every week for the rest of his papacy.
The Holy Father crisscrossed the cobblestone square in the iconic popemobile, a white Mercedes-Benz specially constructed so the pontiff can be visible for public appearances while still protected.
A video camera captured his every facial expression, magnified on four large display screens, as he made the sign of the cross in the air and paused to bless the occasional baby.
He later read a list of countries represented in the square in English, ending with “the United States” and smiling as a roar rose up from the crowd.
Friends and family members have noted the stark contrast between the 69-year-old longtime Augustinian missionary’s lifestyle up until this point compared to the new life he’s begun as the leader of some 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.
