Pope Leo's first visit should be to Gaza
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In a world that too often feels consumed by conflict, division, and moral fatigue, the election of a new pope brings a flicker of renewed hope. The selection of Pope Leo XIV is more than a change in leadership. It is a spiritual and moral affirmation that the Catholic Church, under his guidance, will continue to walk the path of peace laid down by Pope Francis.
From the moment he stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Leo signaled the kind of pontificate he intends to lead. His first words, spoken in Latin, were 'Peace to you all' — a greeting deeply familiar to those of us in the East. It was not lost on many that he repeated the word 'peace' no fewer than nine times in his brief public address. Equally powerful was his echoing part of Pope Francis' now-iconic call to 'build bridges, not walls' — a phrase Francis uttered in front of the Israeli separation wall in Bethlehem in 2014. Pope Leo repeated that same phrase twice, anchoring his mission in a world increasingly obsessed with barriers and fear.
Pope Leo was born to a French-Italian American father who served in the Second World War and a Spanish American mother with roots in Creole New Orleans. He arrived in Peru on an Augustinian mission in 1985, and later directed the Augustinian seminary in the northern city of Trujillo for 10 years. His decades of ministry in Latin America have shaped his pastoral style, rooted in simplicity, humility, and deep concern for the poor and marginalized.
The symbolism of his speech is strong, and it matters. But even more telling are the calls now circulating that Pope Leo ought to begin with a visit to Gaza. If this proposal becomes reality, it would be one of the boldest opening acts of any modern papacy — a powerful message that the Church stands not with the powerful, but with the suffering. It would mirror the approach of his predecessor, who made a point to meet refugees, visit prisons, and kneel before the forgotten.
Gaza today is a wound on the conscience of humanity. Reeling from devastation, under siege, and increasingly isolated from the world, it represents not only a geopolitical crisis but also a moral one. For a new pope to begin his spiritual leadership by visiting Gaza would send a message louder than any encyclical: that the global church sees, hears, and stands with the afflicted.
This is no abstraction for us in the Levant. We watched as Pope Francis made unprecedented gestures of solidarity — visiting the Palestinian town of Bethlehem praying at the wall of separation, and emphasizing the rights of all people to live in dignity. Pope Leo appears poised to carry that legacy forward with vigor. At 69, he brings the energy to travel and the theological grounding to lead with clarity and compassion.
May Pope Leo be the lion who roars for peace.
Daoud Kuttab
The choice of the name 'Leo' is also significant. It has not been used in over a century and is a deliberate nod to Pope Leo the Great, a figure known for courage, unity, and love in the face of division. As Catholic affairs expert Wadie Abunassar pointed out in this newspaper yesterday, 'Leo' means lion — but not a lion of empire or force. Rather, this lion roars with the power of love and moral authority, echoing Jesus Christ, the church's founder.
Pope Leo's membership in the Augustinian order is also noteworthy. St. Augustine, a North African saint, emphasized the importance of sharing what one has with others — a principle as urgent now as it was in the fourth century. In a time when global leaders often hoard resources and power, and when millions are displaced by war and occupation, the message of selflessness and solidarity could not be more necessary.
The Catholic Church's history, like that of any large institution, is riddled with both grandeur and grave mistakes. But under Pope Francis, we saw a clear pivot toward humility, inclusion, and peace-centered theology. He confronted climate change, interfaith division, and systemic injustice. Pope Leo appears ready to continue, if not deepen, this trajectory.
Indeed, the legacy of Pope Francis looms large, particularly in the Middle East. He was a consistent advocate for justice in Palestine, repeatedly calling for the rights of Palestinians to live in peace and dignity. He opposed violence in all its forms and was unafraid to name injustice. His gestures, such as praying at the apartheid Israeli wall or recognizing the state of Palestine, had both symbolic and political impact.
It is in this spirit that Pope Leo's early words resonate so deeply. We in the region are not looking for empty rhetoric. We yearn for leadership rooted in moral clarity. When a spiritual leader of 1.3 billion people repeats 'peace' nine times in his first speech, that is not a coincidence. It is a signal to a broken world.
Our hope is that Pope Leo will not only follow the steps of Pope Francis but will expand them — visiting the wounded, calling out occupation and oppression, and lifting the voices of the silenced. A visit to Gaza, should it happen, would mark a remarkable beginning.
As Christians in the East and neighbors in the holy land, we remain eager to see how this new papacy will unfold. The bridge building has already begun. Now we pray that it leads not only to Rome, but also to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Gaza, and every place where peace has become a distant dream.
May Pope Leo XIV be the lion who roars for peace — not with the weapons of war or the prestige of empire, but with the fearless love of Christ.
• Daoud Kuttab is an award-winning Palestinian journalist and former Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University. He is the author of 'State of Palestine NOW: Practical and logical arguments for the best way to bring peace to the Middle East.'
X: @daoudkuttab
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