Pope Francis once again turned his prayers to peace in the world. Following the Regina Coeli in Saint Peter’s Square on April 21, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Pope Francis once again expressed his hope that dialogue, negotiation, and diplomacy might prevail in the Middle East. He urged against succumbing to “the logic of assertion.”
“I continue to watch with concern and sorrow the situation in the Middle East. I reiterate the plea not to yield to the claims of war but rather to prioritize dialogue and diplomacy, which can achieve much. Every day, I pray for peace in Palestine and Israel, hoping these two peoples can soon end their suffering.” Pope Francis then recalled, as usual, the on-going war in Ukraine. He invited the world not to forget the conflict-ridden land “which suffers so much.”