Pope Francis speaks with Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi by Phone and they discuss the Need for a Ceasefire in Gaza
.png)
Pope Francis held a telephone conversation with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, according to the Holy See Press Office.
Pope Francis spoke by phone on November 5th, in the afternoon, with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
The President stressed that he: “appreciates the position of the Catholic leader on the need for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.”
Also mentioned in the conversation was the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Pope Francis held a meeting at the Vatican in 2016 with the former president of Iran. The meeting lasted 40 minutes and, among other topics, they discussed peace in the Middle East.
The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, confirmed the conversation, specifying that it occurred at the request of the Iranian president.
The Iranian presidency's website reported that President Raisi expressed his appreciation for the Pope's appeals for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Earlier on Sunday, Pope Francis reiterated his appeal for a ceasefire at the Angelus address:
"I continue to think about the serious situation in Palestine and in Israel where many, many people have lost their lives. In God’s name, I beg you to stop: cease using weapons! I hope that avenues will be pursued so that an escalation of the conflict might be absolutely avoided, so that the wounded can be rescued and help might get to the population of Gaza where the humanitarian situation is extremely serious. May the hostages be freed immediately. There are also many children among them – may they return to their families! Yes, let’s think of the children, of all the children affected by this war, as well as in Ukraine and by other conflicts: this is how their future is being killed. Let us pray that there might be the strength to say, 'enough'."
In the last few weeks, Pope Francis also spoke by phone with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (2 November), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (26 October), and with US President Joe Biden (22 October).
Several issues were discussed in his conversations with these world leaders, the Pope had indicated the need to find paths to peace and the hope of reaching a two-state solution with a special status for Jerusalem.
Sources: Romereports and Vatican News
Comments