TEHRAN - Pope Francis was an essential leader of the Catholic Church and the first pope from outside Europe in practically 1,300 years.
He died on the morning of April 21, 2025.
During his time as pope, he was clear and caring about international concerns, specifically the Israeli war in Gaza.The pope typically required a stop to the violence in Gaza.
He wanted justice for victims and aid for Palestinians affected by the war.
His strong words against the dispute consisted of require ceasefires and investigations into war criminal activities.
This disturbed some Israeli authorities, making the relationship between the Vatican and Israel highly tense.With his passing, the world has actually lost an extremely influential religious leader and a strong advocate for peace and human rights in one of the most difficult and long-lasting conflicts.Pope Francis views on Gaza and IsraelDuring the dispute that got extremely worse in October 2023, Pope Francis repeatedly criticized the violence and the dreadful circumstance in Gaza.
He made it clear that the situation was not just war but terrorism.
On November 22, 2023, he said, This is not war.
This is terrorism.
He highlighted how civilians, particularly kids, were suffering too much and urged an end to the fighting and for humanitarian aid to reach the people in Gaza.In a significant declaration in November 2024, Pope Francis asked the international community to investigate whether Israels military actions in Gaza might be considered genocide.
He specified, According to some experts, what is occurring in Gaza has the qualities of a genocide.
It needs to be thoroughly investigated.This was a strong and rare difficulty to Israels behavior in the dispute.
The pope also condemned the battle of civilian locations like healthcare facilities and schools, which resulted in numerous civilian deaths.
On December 26, 2024, he lamented, Yesterday, kids were bombed.
This is ruthlessness, not war, underscoring the moral measurement of his critique.In his Easter 2025 message, he appealed to the warring celebrations: call a ceasefire, release the captives and concern the help of a starving people that desires a future of peace.
In addition, he was dismayed at the growing level of antisemitism throughout the world, therefore showing his balanced point of view on the conflict.The role and predicament of Palestinian ChristiansPope Francis has revealed excellent look after Palestinian Christians, who are a little group caught in the middle of the conflict.
He called Gazas Holy Family Parish every night after Israel started its relentless and barbaric war on Gaza following the October 7 attack on southern Israel by Hamas.The Israeli attacks on Gaza and the West Bank have actually greatly affected Palestinian Christian neighborhoods.
Leaders are concerned they might vanish completely if the scenario doesnt enhance.
Easter in 2025, a time generally full of happiness, was instead marked by unhappiness and fear.
This shows the hard times Christians are experiencing due to the pressure from the Israeli military.Israels response: Outrage and diplomatic tensionsIsrael rapidly and highly reacted to Pope Francis comments, showing much frustration and anger.
They implicated the Pope of neglecting the security obstacles Israel deals with, especially relating to Hamas.Israeli officials claimed Hamas was utilizing people as human shields and taking hostages.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry called the Popes remarks double standards and stated he unjustly targeted Israel.After the Pope criticized the killing of Palestinian children, Israel called in the Vaticans ambassador in Jerusalem to express distress with the Popes words.
The Popes ethical authority challenged Israels military and political position.Pope Francis took a firm stand on the Gaza conflict, revealing real worry about human rights and fairness.
He spoke out against what he viewed as severe violence and hardship that Palestinians were going through.
His choice to use words like terrorism and genocide when discussing Israels actions was a huge deal for an existing pope, showing he wasnt scared to call out effective nations on ethical issues.He likewise spoke up for Palestinian Christians, which included another layer to his message.
It highlighted how essential it is to protect minority groups in the Holy Land and to acknowledge the various cultures and faiths because area.
This method stood out against the often-divided political discussions about the conflict.Israels mad response to the Popes remarks exposed its sensitivity to criticism from popular individuals.Pope Francis left a complex tradition.
His words motivated lots of Palestinians and human rights advocates.
This post very first appeared/also appeared in Tehran Times