Pope Leo calls for ceasefire in Gaza, laments 'cries' of parents of dead children
Pope Leo called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages in a May 28 general audience, following in the steps of his predecessor Pope Francis, who was both praised and criticized for using his position to advocate for ending the war in Gaza.
"In the Gaza Strip, the intense cries are reaching Heaven more and more from mothers and fathers who hold tightly to the bodies of their dead children," Leo said in St. Peter's Square, in Vatican City.
"To those responsible, I renew my appeal: stop the fighting. Liberate all the hostages. Completely respect humanitarian law."
More: Chaos and criticism for Trump-backed Gaza aid plan as 47 are injured
Leo assumed the papacy earlier this month after he was chosen in a closely followed papal conclave following Francis' death on April 21.
It was not the first time Leo has spoken out on international conflicts. In his first Sunday message, he urged "no more war," a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages as well as an "authentic and lasting peace" in Ukraine.
On May 21, he addressed the crisis in Gaza during a weekly Sunday audience, advocating "an end the hostilities," and asking Israel to allow humanitarian aid into the war-torn and impoverished enclave.
Israel has since lifted its blockade, allowing a trickle of humanitarian aid back into Gaza.
Leo's May 18 inauguration kicked off swirling speculation about whether he would promote social justice and immigrant rights, as Francis had.
Leo, a Chicago native, is the first American-born pope, although he lived for much of his adult life in Peru.
Some of Leo's past social media posts criticized Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, and the Trump administration for its hardline immigration policies. Leo met privately with Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and their wives, the Vatican announced on May 19.
Israel launched its siege of Gaza after militants affiliated with Hamas − which controls the territory on the border of Israel and Egypt − overran Israel's borders on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostage. Since then, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's attacks, according to Hamas-run local health authorities.
A ceasefire brokered in mid-January was shattered after two months. The Trump administration's direct talks with Hamas in Qatar since then have failed to clinch a new agreement.
At least 54 Palestinians sheltering in a school were killed by Israel's airstrikes on May 26.
Pope Francis repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Gaza, reiterating in an Easter Sunday message a day before he died, "I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace."
Some of his comments directly criticized Israel for the toll on Palestinian civilians. In a January message, he called the situation "very serious and shameful," adding, "We cannot in any way accept the bombing of civilians."
More: Pope Leo appeals for Israel to allow humanitarian aid in Gaza
Throughout the conflict, Francis kept in close contact with Gaza's small Catholic community, even holding nightly calls with the majority-Muslim enclave's churches in the weeks leading up to his death.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pope Leo calls for ceasefire in Gaza, release of hostages
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
China's factory activity contraction eases after trade war truce
(Bloomberg) — China's factory activity contracted at a slower rate in May after a reprieve in the tariff war with the US unclogged trade flows, even as weak domestic demand continues to weigh on the economy. Billionaire Steve Cohen Wants NY to Expand Taxpayer-Backed Ferry Now With Colorful Blocks, Tirana's Pyramid Represents a Changing Albania NYC Congestion Toll Brings In $216 Million in First Four Months The Economic Benefits of Paying Workers to Move Where the Wild Children's Museums Are The official manufacturing purchasing managers' index was 49.5, versus 49 in April, the National Bureau of Statistics said Saturday. That matched the median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg. A reading below 50 indicates contraction. The non-manufacturing measure of activity in construction and services fell to 50.3 from 50.4 in April, the statistics office said. That compares with a forecast of 50.5. The composite index rose to 50.4. The PMI figures are the first official data available each month to provide a snapshot of the health of the Chinese economy. The latest readings capture the initial aftermath of the trade truce, after Beijing and Washington agreed to reduce tariffs for 90 days beginning May 14. The strength of manufacturing in the months ahead is still in question given an uncertain export outlook, and especially as tensions rise again in recent days with Washington. Although the US lowered the average rate of tariffs to roughly 40% following talks in Geneva, that level is still enough to reduce American imports from China by around 70% over the medium term, according to estimates from Bloomberg Economics. Even so, the reprieve on tariffs has sent trade between China and the US surging. Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg lifted forecasts for growth and exports this year following the agreement in Geneva, but still expect deflationary pressures to get worse in China, which has already seen economy-wide prices fall for two straight years. Gross domestic product is forecast to expand 4.5% this year, based on a Bloomberg survey conducted in late May, still significantly lower than the around 5% target set by Chinese policy makers. Economists expect exports will grow 1.1% in 2025 versus a year ago, an upgrade from the 1% contraction they expected in April. —With assistance from Zhang Dingmin. YouTube Is Swallowing TV Whole, and It's Coming for the Sitcom Millions of Americans Are Obsessed With This Japanese Barbecue Sauce Mark Zuckerberg Loves MAGA Now. Will MAGA Ever Love Him Back? How Coach Handbags Became a Gen Z Status Symbol AI Is Helping Executives Tackle the Dreaded Post-Vacation Inbox ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Scottie Scheffler Drops Unexpected Pick While Predicting 2025 NBA Finals
Scottie Scheffler Drops Unexpected Pick While Predicting 2025 NBA Finals originally appeared on Athlon Sports. American professional golfer Scottie Scheffler is one of the most successful names to attend the University of Texas. Advertisement Scheffler spent four seasons competing on Texas' golf team, where he helped the Longhorns to three Big 12 championship wins and three NCAA championship final appearances. He also took home the 2015 Phil Michelson Freshman of the Year award in 2015. What he's accomplished following his collegiate career is even more impressive. Scheffler is currently sitting at No. 1 in the official world golf ranking. Some of his highest achievements include PGA Tour titles, two Masters Tournament wins and a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Scottie Scheffler poses for a photo with the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the PGA Championship golf tournament at Quail Dedmon-Imagn Images On Friday, Scheffler made headlines by discussing a different sport. He spoke with Dallas Morning News about the upcoming 2025 NBA Finals and showed dedication to his hometown team. Advertisement The Texas native was asked to give his NBA Finals prediction and confidently picked the Dallas Mavericks. Although the Mavericks did not reach the postseason, Scheffler felt the need to stress the importance of receiving the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. His unwavering support to the Mavericks is shocking to some as many fans are still upset with the Luka Doncic trade to the Los Angeles Lakers. Scheffler is instead choosing to find the silver lining. The Mavericks are expected to select Duke star Cooper Flagg with the top pick in the draft. Related: Can Tre Johnson be the answer for Charlotte Hornets in 2025 NBA Draft? This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
JFK Files: How Cuba's War Of Words Flooded The Americas
Join authors Dennis McCuistion and Dory Wiley for an explosive panel discussion at The Dallas Express' 'Who Killed JFK?' event on June 9, 2025. , , or today! The CIA feared that Cuba's true revolutionary export wasn't fighters—it was a playbook for turning a country's own resources against itself. Newly declassified intelligence files from the 1960s, released by President Donald Trump in March 2025 as part of the broader 'JFK Files' disclosure, detail extensive efforts by Fidel Castro's Cuba to spread communism across Latin America—not through mass invasions or military might, but by subverting nations from within. One such document from then-CIA Director John A. McCone to then-Senator John Stennis (D-MS) is marked 'Secret' and appears to be from the spring of 1963. The document outlines the CIA's assessment of Cuba's subversive strategy as a potent mix of ideological indoctrination, sabotage training, and psychological warfare. According to the report, Cuba offered revolutionaries from across Latin America a chillingly precise deal: 'Come to Cuba; we will pay your way, we will train you…in guerrilla warfare, in sabotage and in terrorism.' Though the Cubans generally avoided supplying weapons or personnel, they promised political support, training materials, demolition guides, secret communication techniques, and, in some cases, funding. The strategy focused on training guerrillas to be self-sufficient and to weaponize their surroundings. Pocket-sized manuals, such as '150 Questions on Guerrilla Warfare' by Spanish Civil War veteran Alberto Bayo, circulated widely. They instructed revolutionaries on how to craft explosives from household items and steal arms from government forces. CIA agents found versions of these texts adapted for countries like Peru, Colombia, and Brazil. In the early 1960s, the CIA leadership believed between 1,000 and 1,500 individuals from almost every Latin American country (except Uruguay) reportedly traveled to Cuba for ideological or guerrilla training. The Cuban government tried to obscure the movement, issuing visas on separate slips to avoid passport stamps and even providing falsified passports. American intelligence used agents within communist parties and foreign customs authorities to track and estimate the scale of this traffic, the director told the senator. The report highlights Cuba's two-pronged media campaign into the United States as an early extension of this subversive agenda. 'Radio Free Dixie,' hosted by North Carolina-born Robert F. Williams, was broadcast in English to Black Americans in the South, while 'The Friendly Voice of Cuba' reached a wider Southern audience. These programs, the CIA noted, could be heard clearly in Florida and across much of the Deep South and represented a subtle yet strategic psychological campaign aimed at undermining American unity. Castro's ambition, the report asserts, was to make Cuba the blueprint for the Latin American revolution. He famously stated in 1960 that he aimed to 'convert the Cordillera of the Andes into the Sierra Maestra of the American continent.' The Sierra Maestra was the mountain refuge from which Castro launched his successful revolution against Batista. 'Socialism,' he argued, could not afford to wait for democratic change—it had to be won by force. And yet, Cuban communism was not as militant as it might seem. The CIA noted that Castro often trod a careful line between the Soviet Union and Communist China. 'Castro's heart is in Peiping but his stomach is in Moscow,' one section reads, referencing the ideological tug-of-war between Chinese revolutionary zeal and Soviet pragmatism. While China promoted all-out militancy, the Soviets favored subversion through legal means. Castro attempted to serve both masters—adopting Chinese revolutionary theory but relying on Soviet material aid. Despite this ideological balancing act, the CIA classified the Cubans and Venezuelans as the only Communist parties in Latin America 'totally committed to terror and revolution.' Other parties, while ideologically aligned, preferred subversion, propaganda, and infiltration to outright violence—at least initially. Several revolutions swept through South America during the decades following Cuba's turn to communism, some succeeding and others collapsing. In Nicaragua, the Sandinistas ultimately overthrew the Somoza regime in 1979 with tactics reminiscent of the Cuban model. In Chile, Salvador Allende's Marxist government came to power democratically in 1970 but was overthrown in a military coup three years later. Guerrilla movements plagued Colombia, Peru, Argentina, and Bolivia, with groups like the FARC and the Shining Path drawing from the ideological and tactical lineage traced back to Cuba's training camps and printed materials. Even where communist revolutions never took root—such as in Brazil, Ecuador, or Paraguay—leftist guerrilla groups launched campaigns of sabotage and terror, often mimicking Cuban tactics. Many of these movements were ultimately suppressed, but not before spreading fear and destabilization. Perhaps the most telling metric of Cuba's nonviolent infiltration was its printed word. 'It may be worth noting,' the CIA director wrote, 'that the postal and customs authorities in Panama are destroying on average 12 tons a month of Cuban propaganda.' Another 10 tons were reportedly confiscated monthly in Costa Rica. These materials, in the form of books, pamphlets, and ideological tracts, were seen as weapons of war. Despite accepting Soviet missiles and troops during the Cuban Missile Crisis—20,000 Soviet personnel were reportedly stationed in Cuba, according to one document—the island's long-term strategy was quieter and more insidious. The CIA concluded that Cuba's effort to spread communism through nonviolent means was far more effective than the Cuban effort to spread communism through violent means.
