Kathy Boylan, a member of the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker community in New York, published a video last October urging Pope Francis to go to Gaza. In it, Boylan points out the regret that can follow a failure to act: "Pope Pius XII could have gone to one of Hitler’s concentration camps. But Pope Pius XII did not do that.The Pope has got to go to the concentration camp called Gaza. I’m sure Israel would find it very difficult to say 'no' to the Holy Father’s presence in Gaza -- and he might stop the bombing and he might stop the killing. And he should stay there, not just go and visit for a while. The Pope should stay. We beg the Pope to do that." While we put no stock in claims that the new Pope will cause the Chicago White Sox to win the pennant, and believe it possible to expect too much from one action, there are good reasons to believe that a visit to Gaza by Pope Leo XIV would have impact. Any Israeli efforts to prevent such a visit would also likely have a major impact. Pope Francis in 2015 published the first papal encyclical on the environment, shortly after which 195 nations signed the Paris climate agreement, with at least 10 world leaders citing the pope’s words during addresses to the United Nations climate conference. Pope Francis later came close to publishing an encyclical rejecting "just war" theory, and spoke out and published a book arguing that there is no such thing as a just war. More is needed on that topic. Please click here to sign the petition urging Pope Leo XIV to visit Gaza -- and feel free to add your own words. |
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