Pope offers to mediate between world leaders to end wars
Vatican City, Holy See: Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday offered to mediate between leaders of countries at war, saying that he himself "will make every effort so that this peace may prevail".
The new US pontiff, who became head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics last week, also called on Christians living in the Middle East not to abandon their homes, in a speech to members of the Eastern Catholic Churches.
"Who, better than you, can sing a song of hope even amid the abyss of violence?" he told the packed Paul VI hall at the Vatican, noting that "from the Holy Land to Ukraine, from Lebanon to Syria, from the Middle East to Tigray and the Caucasus, how much violence do we see!".
He urged them to pray for peace, adding: "For my part, I will make every effort so that this peace may prevail.
"The Holy See is always ready to help bring enemies together, face to face, to talk to one another, so that peoples everywhere may once more find hope and recover the dignity they deserve, the dignity of peace.
"The peoples of our world desire peace, and to their leaders I appeal with all my heart: Let us meet, let us talk, let us negotiate!".
Leo took over as pontiff from Pope Francis, who died on April 21 aged 88.
He was speaking at a pre-arranged event for the 2025 Jubilee holy year dedicated to the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches, located across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, India, and parts of Africa.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
21 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Christians desire a change, says Nilambur bypoll NDA candidate Mohan George
MALAPPURAM: Having entered the fray late in the Nilambur by-election, NDA candidate Mohan George is on a mission to widen the front's vote base. TNIE catches up with him for a quick chat. Excerpts Trolls say that your speciality is that you became a candidate first and then took party membership... I am a BJP member. The BJP is a big party. They discuss a lot before choosing their candidate. I was asked about it a week ago. I wasn't that interested. Later, they contacted me several times and many leaders came to me. They probably saw some potential in me. Demographically, a Christian vote base is crucial in this constituency... That may also be a factor. Didn't I say the BJP would have considered all factors when it made me its candidate? How much of a divide can you make among the Christian voters? Christians are the ones who want a change. There has been a huge difference in the attitude of Christians. They don't see the BJP in the same way they used to. Now, they are ready to accept Narendra Modi. They are interested in Narendra Modi's development policies. Wherever I went, many people told me they had already been converted into the BJP but were afraid to admit it publicly. At the same time, there have been incidents where Christians are being attacked, including in north India. Aren't the Christian people you approach here talking about it? That is a misconception. Four states in the northeast are Christian majority states. They say that there are minor problems there. In Kerala, Christians are less than 18-20%. So, it isn't a relevant issue here. It is just a small propaganda against the BJP. How about Manipur riots? In Manipur, it's just an ethnic riot. Is there any chance of winning in Nilambur? Last time, BJP got only 8,500 votes... Yes. Times change, don't they? In the past, the BJP got just two seats in India. But today, it is the party that rules India. It is changing. And let me tell you one more thing. In 2004, P C Thomas contested and won as an NDA candidate in Muvattupuzha. People want a change and it's there in their minds.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
'Ban all third world immigration': MAGA calls for blanket embargo on immigration amid LA riots
MAGA calls for a blanket ban on immigration from all third-world countries. MAGA activists pushed for a blanket ban on all immigration from third-world countries, as the crackdown on illegal aliens started the LA riots. The Donald Trump administration has taken a strong stand to deport illegals, and hundreds of Mexicans were detained and deported from Los Angeles in an ICE crackdown. Protests turned violent with people waving Mexican flags, torching and burning American flags. Chaos started brewing in the city Friday after ICE officers made several mass arrests of illegal immigrants, including one at a Home Depot parking lot where people looking for work often gather, and protestors showed up to try to block the raids. The FBI has put out rewards upwards of $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of various protestors who were caught on camera. Trump blamed Dem Governor Gavin Newsom for the LA riots and said the Trump administration cops will not allow "insurrectionists" to spit on the face of the National Guard troops. "IF THEY SPIT, WE WILL HIT and I promise you they will be hit harder than they have ever been hit before. Such disrespect will not be tolerated!" Trump reiterated Monday. MAGA activists claimed that multiculturalism in America proved to be a failure, and it's time the US shuts its door for migrants. "Ban all third world immigration. Legal or illegal. There should be a moratorium on all immigration from the third world. We've reached our capacity. We cannot be the world's soup kitchen anymore," Matt Walsh said. "It's time to ban third world immigration, legal or illegal. We've reached our limit and we have a huge cultural, educational, housing, financial, and essential services problem to fix now because of it. We need a net-zero immigration moratorium with a ban on all third worlders," Charlie Kirk wrote. These calls opened a major debate on how racist the proposition is. Some users suggested banning non-whites from coming to the US, while some said all non-Christians should be prohibited. Minnesota lawmaker says her family entered the US illegally The LA riots prompted many people to come forward with their immigration stories, claiming that there are millions in the US who came to the country illegally because their parents were not aware about the laws. Minnesota lawmaker Rep Kaohly Vang said in the House that she just learned that her family broke to law to come to the US.
India Gazette
2 days ago
- India Gazette
Amjad Ayub Mirza exposes systemic persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan
London [UK], June 9 (ANI): Amjad Ayub Mirza, a leading activist from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), has delivered a scathing analysis of the Voice of Minority in Pakistan's May 2025 report, which highlights the deteriorating situation of religious minorities in Pakistan, particularly Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, and Ahmadis, under the country's majoritarian framework. Mirza accused Pakistan of cultivating a culture of impunity in which Muslims, protected by blasphemy laws, supposedly have a 'licence to kill.' Citing Section 295 of the Pakistan Penal Code, he emphasised how simple accusations of blasphemy can result in arrests, lynchings, or even capital punishment, as seen most infamously in the cases of Asiya Bibi and the assassinations of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and Christian minister Shahbaz Bhatti. According to the report, at least 43 cases of religious persecution occurred in May 2025 alone, including deliberate violence against Hindus in Sindh's Mirpur Khas and against Christian women in Lahore. Notably, six attacks on the Ahmadiyya community were reported in districts including Kasur, Sialkot, and Lahore, with several reportedly carried out by bar associations, Tehreek-e-Labbaik, and police officers. Mirza described how young minority girls, some as young as 12, are abducted and forced to convert to Islam. He also quoted the Sindh Assembly, where MPA Faisal verified reports of Hindus being compelled to eat beef, which is profoundly repugnant to their religious views. These reported actions frequently coincide with religious festivals, such as Bakra Eid. Beyond physical violence, minorities are systematically excluded from civil services, education, and political participation. Many are relegated to low-paying jobs like sanitation work and live in neglected neighbourhoods lacking basic utilities. Temples, churches, and gurdwaras are frequently vandalised or illegally occupied, while media outlets ignore or suppress reports of festivals like Diwali or Christmas. Mirza concluded that the persecution of minorities in Pakistan is not incidental, but embedded in the ideological foundation of the state. 'Being a Christian or a Hindu in Pakistan is treated like a crime,' he said. (ANI)
