Vita gazette – Pope Francis: “Enough, please! I encourage you to continue negotiations for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and throughout the region.”

The Pontiff, in good form, recited the traditional midday prayer. Afterwards, the Pope told the world: “Enough!” He urgently called for a ceasefire for Palestine and the entire region.

The appeal for Gaza: “I carry in my heart every day with pain, the suffering of the populations in Palestine and Israel due to the ongoing hostilities: thousands of dead, injured, displaced, the immense destruction causes pain. Do we think we can build a better world in this way? Do we think we can achieve peace? Please stop! Let’s all say stop, please! Spreading brotherhood, there is a need. On Gaza, let’s all say enough is enough!”. This is the Pope’s heartfelt appeal to the Angelus: “Stop! I encourage you to continue negotiations for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and throughout the region.”

Commenting on the Gospel passage about Jesus driving the merchants out of the temple, the Pontiff wanted to focus on the contrast between “home and market”, “two different ways of placing oneself before the Lord”. Jesus “is harsh because he does not accept that the temple market replaces the temple-house; he does not accept that the relationship with God is distant and commercial rather than close and trusting; he does not accept that sales stalls take the place of the family canteen and that prices take the place of hugs and coins take the place of caresses.” “The invitation, then, also for our Lenten journey is to make within ourselves and around us more of a home and less of a market”.