Pope Leo XIV calls for humanitarian aid in war-torn Gaza in first general audience

Chicago Tribune

21-05-2025

VATICAN CITY — Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV called for humanitarian aid to be allowed into war-torn Gaza, decrying the violence and suffering in the Middle East during his first general audience as pope Wednesday in St. Peter's Square.
'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.
Less than an hour later, his words were repeated online by roughly a dozen news outlets, some including photos of him giving the address.
At the start of the weekly event, the Holy Father criss-crossed 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, ending with 'the United States' and smiling as a roar rose up from the crowd.
Pope Leo XIV will hold similar general audiences almost every week for the rest of his papacy.
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.
The fortnight since his May 8 election has been a whirlwind of public appearances and meetings with dignitaries, including Vice President JD Vance and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. During his visit, Vance presented the pontiff with a Chicago Bears jersey with No. XIV on the back and 'Pope Leo' across his shoulders.
'Good choice,' the pope said, looking at the gift.
The grandeur and pageantry of the position belies the simple existence the pope has led for much of his life. Born Robert Francis Prevost and raised in south suburban Dolton, he has been described by loved ones as a humble and down-to-earth man who's not too prone to pomp and circumstance.
The Rev. John Lydon, his fellow Augustinian missionary and roommate from 1990 to 1999 in Trujillo, Peru, recalled that they lived in austere conditions at the time.
Tumult and violence plagued Peru, spurred by the brutal Shining Path insurgency and the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement.
'They were difficult years in terms of human rights. Life was difficult for the people,' recalled Lydon, who lives in Chicago. 'It was years of complete poverty. The decade was a lost decade for Peru.'
The southern part of the parish they led was particularly precarious because so many people there had migrated from the mountains to escape terrorism.
The missionaries protested human rights violations and started soup kitchens, he recalled
'That's where he gave a lot of his attention, to the people who were marginalized,' Lydon said.'He gave them respect.'
There weren't a lot of luxuries or comforts back then compared to living in the United States, but the missionaries took great joy in the work, he said.
Parishioners loved 'Father Bob,' as they called him, so much so that an entire week had to be blocked off annually for his birthday festivities because everyone wanted to throw him parties and celebrations.
'They all remember him because he encouraged lay participation in the service and life of the church,' Lydon said. 'The faith dimension of the people.'
When he needed to relax or decompress while in Peru, Prevost would often go on long drives on the highway, his old roommate recalled.
Now, as a head of state of Vatican City, he won't ever be able to just get behind the wheel of a car and go somewhere, Lydon noted.
Prevost would often make trips back to the Chicago area to see family and friends; these will become far less frequent and easy, his fellow former missionary said.
'He can't just pop in,' said Lyndon, who traveled to the Vatican for Sunday's inaugural Mass and returned to Chicago Monday. 'Everything has changed.'
The gospel reading at the general audience told the parable of the sower, which tells of a farmer scattering seeds on different landscapes to symbolize varying responses to scripture.
The bible passage was recited in multiple languages, predominantly by women readers of diverse backgrounds.
The Holy Father's reflection on the passage captured themes of painful transformation for the broader benefit of humanity.
'The parable of the sower can also make us think about Jesus himself, who in his death and resurrection became the seed that fell to the ground and died in order to bear rich fruit,' the new pope said.
The pope has always had a gift for diplomacy and working peacefully with all kinds of people, recalled his oldest brother, 73-year-old Louis Prevost of Florida, during an interview with the Tribune earlier this month.
'There's just something about how he does things and how he sees and says things. He's not going to lie to anybody. He's going to tell it like it is,' he said. 'He's not going to veer from church doctrine or teachings. But just be the man that he is and explain things in the manner that he does. I take it as people kind of go, 'huh, maybe he's right. I should look at it like that instead.''
Louis Prevost – who has come under fire recently for controversial social media posts — attended Sunday's papal installation as a guest of Vice President J.D. Vance, sitting next to Second Lady Usha Vance.
After the Mass, while meeting with dignitaries and world faith leaders, the pope broke protocol to hug his brother.
On Tuesday, Louis Prevost and his wife, Deborah, met President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, according to the White House. Trump praised the pope's older brother on Tuesday for supporting his presidency and the MAGA movement.
In his earlier conversation with the Tribune, Louis Prevost recalled visiting brother years ago in Peru, where the Augustinian priest warned him they might encounter Shining Path militants.
Once they were driving together and came across a group of men with machine guns blocking the road, Louis Prevost said.
When the men looked in the driver seat window and saw his brother, they pulled back, he recalled.
'They said 'Oh, Padre Roberto. Vaya con Dios. Go ahead. We don't want to bother you,'' the older brother said.
Louis Prevost was nervous for his youngest brother and told him, 'They could just take you out not knowing who you are.'
But the priest responded, 'It's my job. It's my duty as a missionary,' according to the older brother's recollection.
'He's done all kinds of things and interfaced with all different kinds of people,' Louis Prevost said. 'On all levels.'
The new pope's first general audience culminated with the entire piazza singing the Lord's Prayer in Latin.
The sky above St. Peter's Basilica was overcast but stayed dry. Flags from more than three dozen countries dotted the crowd. Newly wed couples came in their wedding attire – including an array of bridal gowns – awaiting a 'sposi novelli' blessing for a happy wedded life from the Holy Father.
Just northeast of the basilica is the Apostolic Palace, where Pope Leo XIV is expected to live in the papal apartments on the top floor overlooking St. Peter's Square. Also known as the papal palace, it's considered the official residence of the pontiff, though his predecessor Pope Francis broke with tradition and instead resided at a Vatican guesthouse.
'The papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace is not luxurious. It is old, tastefully decorated and large, but not luxurious,' Pope Francis said during a 2013 interview posted on the Holy See's website. 'But in the end it is like an inverted funnel. It is big and spacious, but the entrance is really tight. People can come only in dribs and drabs, and I cannot live without people. I need to live my life with others.'
The Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and editor of America Magazine, called it 'perfectly understandable' that Pope Leo XIV would want to live in the Apostolic Palace.
'As much as I loved and admired Pope Francis, I myself wouldn't want to live in Casa Santa Marta, a guest house, for years on end,' Martin said in a post earlier this month on the social media site X. 'It was quite busy with people coming and going, not to mention eating in a crowded cafeteria, etc. And I would imagine that Leo would appreciate the privacy of the papal apartments.'
Fr. Homero Sanchez of St. Rita's Church on the Southwest Side of Chicago noted that Prevost 'never had a driver in his life until now.'
'He has lived with the poor. He had gone on a donkey to go all the way on top of the mountains,' said Sanchez, who has considered Prevost a friend, mentor and Augustinian brother for roughly 15 years. 'He has suffered hunger as well. He knows what starvation is about.'
Out of habit, Sanchez keeps referring to the pontiff as 'Roberto,'but then quickly catches and corrects himself saying, 'I mean the pope.'
Even though Prevost's life in Peru was strikingly different from the world of the papacy, Sanchez believes his years as a missionary helped prepare him to be the pope.
'He can relate to the human condition of everyone,' added Sanchez, who traveled to the Vatican for Prevost's installation. 'He knows as well how to relate to the wealthy as he does to the poor. I think that makes him a little bit closer to everyone.'
The Rev. Joe Roccasalva, who was born and raised in Beverly, recalled that Prevost would often return to the Chicago area to visit his brother John Prevost in New Lenox. When in town, Prevost would often visit with him and other Augustinian brothers at the friary at Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, where Roccasalva used to live and work.
Prevost served as head of Augustinians worldwide from 2001 to 2013, based in Rome, and before that led the Chicago province of the order.
At the friary, everyone would pray and eat together.
'He would also help do the dishes.' Roccasalva recalled. 'He felt called to the brotherhood and to do the work that we all do…. Anytime that he came in.'
When Roccasalva heard Prevost's name declared pope earlier this month, he cried tears of joy.
'But also a little sadness for him,' Roccasalva said.
Because he knew Prevost's life would be completely altered once he said 'accepto' in Latin, officially taking on the role of pontiff.
'And also a little sad for us, because he was a great spiritual leader for us,' added Roccasalva, who was at the Vatican for the Prevost's installation. 'It's lucky for the world. It's sad that we now lose that one connection that was very close.'
The Rev. Bernie Scianna, who grew up in the Pilsen neighborhood and has known Prevost since 1984, said he was thrilled that his friend and Augustinian brother became the Holy Father.
'However, now this comes with a downside too, because now he can't just walk across the street for pizza and gelato, right? Those days are over,' Scianna said. 'He'll have to be very guarded and secured.'
Scianna noted that Prevost has in many ways sacrificed his life by taking on the role of pontiff.
'We know this is a heavy cross to bear,' he said. 'But we hope he knows that we are with him in prayer and community and love.'
'It's good for the church,' Lydon added. 'It's good for the world.'