Pope Francis Refrains from Mentioning Israel in Weekly Prayer
Pope Francis refrained from mentioning Israel by name during his weekly prayer on Sunday.
During the weekly prayer ceremony on Sunday, Pope Francis mentioned Palestine in his prayers while avoiding any mention of Israel by name, an unprecedented action by the Pope that drew the attention of political analysts.
In previous Sunday prayers, Pope Francis had mentioned Israel and prayed for the country as well, but during this week’s Sunday prayer ceremony, he gave no attention to Israel, which according to observers constitutes a significant and unprecedented move by the Pope.
The Pope prayed for peace in Sudan and Mozambique and stated that conflicts in Africa, Europe, Palestine, Ukraine and various other regions of the world should not be forgotten in prayer. He said: “We do not forget that war is always a defeat.”
Pope Francis’s omission of Israel’s name coincided with tensions that occurred between the Vatican and the Zionist regime several days ago. The Israeli Zionist regime is continuing its fifth consecutive month of attacks on the Gaza Strip, during which Palestinian people have been deprived of all food, clothing and health facilities, with humanitarian aid insufficient to meet their daily needs.
According to statements by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, on February 13, a very large number of people have been killed in Israeli attacks. He said: “Public opinion is asking Tel Aviv to stop its attacks on Gaza. At the same time, there is a demand that Israel’s right to defend itself be proportionate. It is clear that the killing of 30,000 people is not an appropriate response.”
According to reports from the Gaza Ministry of Health, the number of wounded with various injuries has exceeded 70,000, with thousands missing under the rubble. Additionally, Israel’s violent attacks on the Gaza Strip have forced more than 1.9 million people to take refuge in camps and other centers with inadequate facilities.
