Israel demands that the Pope should choose sides
Pope. Photo: rbc
Israel wants Pope Francis to take a clear stance in the conflict between Israel and HAMAS in the Gaza Strip, as reported by infovaticana.com.
Israel's Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, and later the President of the country, Isaac Herzog, expressed their concern about the neutrality Pope Francis has maintained regarding the Israel-Palestine war.
Eli Cohen, in a conversation with the Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States, Paul Gallagher, stated that Israel "expects the Vatican to express a clear and unambiguous condemnation of Hamas terrorists' actions against women, children, and the elderly, simply because they are Jewish."
On the other hand, President Isaac Herzog mentioned that the Vatican's position on the war remains too "cautious" at this time. He said, "I would like to hear a very strong statement from the Holy See."
The Israeli leader recalled that in recent months, he has intervened several times to protect the freedom of Christians in Israel in the face of attacks by ultra-conservative Jews. He added, "I would like to hear the Pope make a clear statement about the children."
Previously, the UOJ reported that Israeli Ambassador to the Vatican criticized the statements made by the hierarch of the Roman Catholic Church in Jerusalem about the war.
Read also
Ukraine must have its own faith: Poroshenko's party lays out peace terms
Poroshenko’s party European Solidarity described church policy as a matter of national sovereignty and said there can be no compromises in this area.
432 UOC churches damaged in Ukraine during war, report says
According to the Religion on Fire project, 807 religious buildings in Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed as a result of hostilities.
DESS official gives number of clergy exempt from mobilization in Ukraine
A DESS representative said the actual number of clergy exempt from mobilization is significantly lower than the number of religious organizations designated as critical.
Cabinet keeps gas prices unchanged for religious organizations
The Cabinet has fixed gas prices for religious organizations through the end of the 2026–2027 heating season.
Concert held at seized Cherkasy cathedral
The OCU thanked the musical ensemble for choosing the Cherkasy cathedral as the venue for a Baroque music concert.
OCU activist admits breaking into UOC church in Sloviansk
Oleksandr Onyshchenko said that the OCU held its first "service" at the Seraphim Church, which had previously been broken into by forcing the locks and doors.