Pope meets Palestinian and Lebanese leaders in search of Holy Land peace – The Tablet | CPT PPP Coverage

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Pope Francis discussed “the very serious humanitarian situation in Gaza” with Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the State of Palestine and the Palestinian Authority, at a meeting in the Vatican on 12 December.

They addressed the Church’s support for communities in Gaza, the hopes for a ceasefire and the release of hostages, and “achieving the two-state solution only through dialogue and diplomacy”, according to a Vatican statement said. The Holy See has recognised the State of Palestine since 2013 and maintains diplomatic relations.  

The meeting came a few days after the release of a picture showing Pope Francis praying in front of a nativity scene at the Vatican, with the manger covered by a black and white keffiyeh scarf, a symbol of Palestinian resistance. The picture prompted a protest from the Israeli Embassy to the Holy See.

On 13 December, Francis met Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the Vatican, emphasising the importance of the good relations between the Holy See and Lebanon and the of the contribution of the Catholic Church and the Christian component to the good of the country. 

During his visit to Rome, Mikati called on Syrian refugees who fled to his country from the civil war in Syria to return home following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad. “The strain on our resources is significant, worsening existing economic problems and creating fierce competition for jobs and services,” he said.

A US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon began on 27 November, but both sides have accused the other of repeated violations. The Israel Defence Forces have launched near-daily strikes, mostly in southern Lebanon, since the ceasefire.

Pope Francis has become more vocal in his criticism of Israel’s campaign in Gaza.  Last Wednesday, the United Nations said humanitarian aid had been unable to reach Gaza for the past 66 days, leaving an estimated 75,000 Palestinians without access to food, water, electricity or any kind of health care.  The UN said at least US$6.6 billion is required to address the humanitarian needs of people in Gaza and the West Bank.

Aid agencies warned that around 545,000 people in Gaza were still living in damaged buildings and makeshift shelters as winter set in, needing deliveries of tarpaulins and repair materials.  On Sunday, an IDF airstrike on the UNRWA-run Ahmed bin Aziz School in southern Khan Younis killed at least 20 people, including six children, although the IDF claimed it had “conducted a precise strike on Hamas terrorists who were operating inside a command-and-control centre embedded within a compound”.

Gazan health officials reported on Monday that the death toll in the fighting since October 2023 had passed 45,000.  The Reporters Without Borders annual report, issued last week, found that the IDF killed 18 journalists – two in Lebanon and 16 in Gaza – in 2024.

The chief executive of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem Sami El-Yousef said in a Christmas report that it had provided aid to 140,000 people since the beginning of the war, including the entire Christian community in Gaza and around 80 per cent of Christians in the West Bank.  He insisted, however, that “we are there not only for the Christian community, but for anyone who is suffering”.

El-Yousef said that although it was “another sad Christmas” in the Hold Land, “the magic of the season continues to inspire, war or not”.  He repeated the appeal of the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem for a modest Christmas celebration concentrating on religious ceremonies, adding that, “in my mind, shouldn’t this be the message every year?”

“How can we still have hope amidst all the destruction, killing, and hatred?” he asked, reflecting in response that a focus on the future was something “we owe to the coming generations”.

In Nazareth last Sunday, the Salesian Sisters hosted a Christmas musical evening to prepare for the season.  The Bethlehem artist Lina Sleibi released a song with the London group Ooberfuse for Christmas 2024.