Pope Francis wielded enormous global influence and his words often resonated beyond the Church. That's why his comments on Israel's war on Gaza were so significant.

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Middle East Conflict

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, has died at age 88 from a cerebral stroke and subsequent heart failure, the Vatican said.

Pope Francis Dies

Pope Francis has taken a notable stance regarding the conflict in Gaza, labeling Israel's actions against the region as terrorism and highlighting the humanitarian crisis as potentially genocidal. His statements mark a significant shift in the Vatican's traditionally neutral position on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Pope Francis has been in personal contact with those affected, frequently calling the Holy Family Church in Gaza, which offers shelter to both Christians and Muslims amidst the crisis. Despite his own health challenges, the Pope has continued to advocate for peace and communication with the Gaza community. His appointment of the first Palestinian cardinal and recognition of the state of Palestine underscore his commitment to social justice and support for the Palestinian cause. Pope Francis' efforts are seen as a rare moral stance against overwhelming silence or political bias from other world leaders. His interactions and visits, including a significant appearance at the separation wall in Bethlehem, illustrate his dedication to advancing peace and justice in the region.



The Pope and Palestine: Francis spoke out against Gaza war

When it came to the Palestinians, Pope Francis was arguably the most supportive pope in modern times. In the aftermath of October 2023, a little more than a month into the war in Gaza, he said what Israel was doing was terrorism, and the humanitarian crisis there could be considered a genocide. This morning I received two delegations, one of Israelis who have relatives held hostage in the Gaza Strip, and another of Palestinians who have relatives imprisoned in Israel. They suffer so much, and I heard how both sides suffer. Wars do this, but we have gone beyond wars. This is not war. This is terrorism. For an institution that for centuries used papal decrees to legitimize territorial expansion and European colonialism, and in modern times remained neutral on the Israel-Palestine conflict, Pope Francis' comments were a radical departure from the Church's legacy and its usual stance, but consistent with his reformist papacy and commitment to social justice. Yesterday children were bombed. This is cruelty. This is not war. Pope Francis did not stop at words. He reached out directly to those suffering in Gaza with frequent video calls. Nearly every night since Israel's bombing campaign began, he called the Holy Family Church in Gaza, which sheltered hundreds of Christians and Muslims. The brief calls were a small but powerful gesture, the Vatican said, offering connection and hope amidst isolation. Yesterday I called, as I do every day, the parish in Gaza. They told me, today we ate lentils with chicken. It's important because these days they weren't used to it and only made some vegetables. They were happy, but let us pray for Gaza, for peace. In his final days, even in critical condition, he stayed in touch with the Gaza parish. We rejoice to hear his voice. This is always comforting, knowing that despite his delicate state of health, he continues to think and pray for everyone, for peace in Gaza, and thanking us at the same time for our constant prayers give us great joy even in the midst of so many trials. And months before his passing, Pope Francis appointed the first new cardinal of Palestinian origin to the College of Cardinals. When the world's most powerful leaders failed to act, many offering unquestioning support to Israel or remaining silent in the face of massacre after massacre, people in Gaza will remember Pope Francis for seeing their suffering clearly and speaking of it plainly, a rare moral voice rising above political calculation. Zain Basravi, Al Jazeera. Well, for more on this, we're joined now by Javi-Abu-Eid, who is a political analyst and a former PLO advisor. He joins us from Ramallah. Thanks again for being with us here on Al Jazeera. First of all, can you just give us a sense of how his death will be viewed in the region, especially as such a strong ally of Palestinian people? Thank you, Tom. As we've been saying this morning, it's a very sad day for Palestinians in general. He was someone who not just with Palestine, but also with the rest of the region, he tried his best to create bridges, to build bridges with the Arab and Muslim world. I don't remember any other pope who visited Arab countries as much as he did during his mandate. And there were several gestures that he made, not just from the religious perspective, where remember that he is the one who canonized the last two Palestinian saints, Maria Alfonsina Gattas and Mariam al-Bawarri, but also he's the pope who recognizes the state of Palestine. He's someone who tried to make use of the moral power of the Holy See to advance a political agenda where, under his own words, there was no possibility to have peace without justice. He always called for a just peace and for the state of Palestine that he, as I just said, recognized. As you've been talking, we've been watching pictures from his 2014 visit to Bethlehem and the stance he took next to the separation wall. I understand you were there at the time and saw that unfold. That must have been incredibly powerful. Can you just give us a sense of the impact, the vast impact that had at the time? I think it was extremely powerful because even though the International Court of Justice had referred to the wall back in 2004 as illegal and that it had to be destroyed, I don't remember any world leader, particularly any Western leader, that took time to go to the wall itself and to have a picture there. I know that even though he was there to pray, there was a very clear political message that the Holy See was delivering. I myself, I was there, as you just said, and I exchanged a few words in Spanish with Pope Francis, and Pope Francis was very clear to me. For me, that was the top of the story when he told me, my dear son, I know very well what's going on here. Those words were back in 2014. We should not forget that the Holy See is not a pro-Palestinian institution. There are different positions within the Holy See, and even though it's true that initially if we are talking 100 years ago, 80 years ago, the Holy See opposed the Zionist project in Palestine, opposed the Balfour Declaration, at the end it started to take a position which was more kind of mutual. And some popes, for example, Pope John Paul II, when he appointed the first Palestinian Patriarch to Jerusalem during the beginning of the First Intifada, Patriarch Michel Sabah, that gave a very strong gesture, just like Pope Francis tried to do. And yeah, it's true that he also appointed the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierre-Baptiste Sabala, who's not a Palestinian, he's an Italian, but who's someone who has been here for many years and who understands very well the realities on the ground. This was also, I think, a gesture for the whole region. Okay, we'll have to leave it there, Javier, but thank you so much for talking us through all of that, Javier Abu Eid, for us in Ramallah. Thank you, Tom.

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Pope Francis Dies