CV NEWS FEED // Pope Francis met with Israeli families of hostages from Hamas’ October 7 attack on Monday morning.
According to Vatican News, the Holy See Press Office confirmed the “private encounter” with the Holy Father occurred at the Vatican Apostolic Palace on April 8.
The visit is Pope Francis’ second meeting with relatives of Israeli Hostages.
As CatholicVote reported, the Pontiff met previously with relatives of Israeli and Palestinian hostages in November 2023. Following the two private audiences he held at his residence, Francis acknowledged then the suffering endured by both sides of the Israel-Hamas War.
“This is what wars do,” he said at the time, “But we have gone beyond wars. This is not war. This is terrorism.”
According to the Vatican News report, the group gathered this time at the Vatican included Bezalel Schnaider, the aunt of Shiri Bibas, who was taken together with her two young children Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 1, as well as Supernova Festival survivors Gal Dalal and her brother Guy.
Vatican News continued:
Also present was a mother, Merav Gilboa Dalal, Naama Miran, sister of 46-year-old Omri Miran, kidnapped in the Nir Oz kibbutz; Lee Yam Berger, twin sister of Agam, a 19-year-old soldier, kidnapped at the Nahal Oz military base; cousin Sarah Waxman Bakshi; and Alon and Amit Nimrodi, father and sister of Tamir, a soldier taken by Hamas from the Cogat base.
The Holy Father most recently called for a ceasefire in Gaza at his April 3 General Audience, during which he also held up the rosary and bible of a fallen Ukrainian soldier.
The families are also scheduled to meet with several political representatives and members of the Jewish community in Rome.
Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan is set to make a 6-day visit to Israel and Palestine in two days, as chair of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA).
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