Even the day before death Pope urged end to Gaza war

Western secular leaders and religious patriarchs and prelates attended Pope Francis’ globally televised Vatican state funeral in Rome on Saturday. He would have preferred a quiet blessing as he was entombed at the 4th century Basilica de Santi Maria Maggiore where seven other popes have been laid to rest rather than at St. Peter’s.

Pomp and circumstance did not suit Pope Francis, the first to assume the name of 12-13th century St. Francis of Assisi, who is known for his mission to the poor, love of animals, and advocacy of the environment.

Although born, raised, and ordained as priest and bishop in Argentina, he was an Italian Pope, steeped in the culture of the country his parents left to escape Benito Mussolini’s Fascism. Francis was the first Jesuit Pope. In 2016, he was the first Pope to meet at the Vatican with Cairo’s Al-Azhar’s Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb, who heads the world’s leading institution of Sunni learning.

This encounter ushered in deepening cooperation between the two men who sought to repair relations between the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics and 2 billion Muslims. In 2017, Pope Francis attended the international peace conference held in Cairo by al-Azhar and subsequently signed a document on human fraternity.

Relations had soured during the papacy of Francis’ controversial anti-Muslim predecessor Benedict XVI, who was the first Pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415 It was fitting that the most moving Middle Eastern tribute to Pope Francis came from Imam Tayeb who called him “a dear friend [who] dedicated his life to serving humanity, advocating for the oppressed, refugees, and the marginalised, and promoting dialogue and understanding among religions and cultures.” After being elected to the papacy, Francis travelled to the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Iraq, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, Palestine, and Israel. His mission was to promote peacemaking, restore ties with Muslims, and encourage local Christians to remain in their homelands despite political turmoil, war, and discrimination.

His first regional visit in May 2014 was a pilgrimage to Jordan, Palestine, and Israel, the land where Christianity was born. During this visit Francis repeatedly made statements backing Palestinian self-determination, referred to the state of Palestine, met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, prayed at Israel’s West Bank separation wall to show disapproval, and called for resumption of negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel.

The Pope visited Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre to pray with the Orthodox Church leader Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. Their encounter took place on the 50th anniversary of a meeting between their predecessors that ended a 900-year rift between the Western and Eastern churches. In 2015, the Vatican signed a treaty formally recognising the state of Palestine.

While in Israel, he visited the Holocaust Memorial and in meetings with Israeli President Shimon Perez and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Francis urged them to resume talks with Abbas. Francis’ efforts were sharply criticised by right-wing Israelis and Vatican properties were vandalised. Following his death, Israel cancelled social media posts of condolences.

During his visit to Turkey that November, Pope Francis prayed alongside Istanbul’s chief cleric Rahmi Yaran in the 17th century Blue Mosque. This was meant to counter centuries old antipathy caused by the Vatican-driven Catholic Crusades aimed at wresting the Levant holy lands from Muslims.

In early 2019, Francis was the first Pope to visit the United Arab Emirates and the Arabian Peninsula when he attended a conference on “global fraternity” which brought together imams, priests of multiple Christian denominations, rabbis, Hindu priests and other clerics.

The high point of the gathering was Francis’ meeting with his friend Tayeb.

Before leaving Abu Dhabi, Francis celebrated the first ever papal mass held in the Emirates and the Peninsula. He returned that December to attend the conference on combatting climate change, another cause he adopted like his namesake.

In March 2021, Pope Francis paid the first ever visit to Iraq which he hailed as the Cradle of Civilisation. He began in Baghdad before travelling to Ur (the birthplace of the Prophet Abraham), Mosul, Najaf, Qaraqosh, and Erbil where he held discussions with Kurdish leaders. In Najaf, Francis met Shia Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani and issued a joint statement condemning religious extremism. Before he went to Mosul, a plot was discovered to assassinate Francis and its perpetrators were killed.

Once Donald Trump returned to the White House, Pope Francis condemned his policy of deporting migrants and asylum seekers. In a letter he wrote to US bishops, he said, “The act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defencelessness.”

After Israel mounted its Gaza war in October 2023, Pope Francis spoke every evening with priest Gabriel Romanelli of the Holy Family Catholic church in the Strip. Francis also met with families of Palestinians and Israeli captives caught up in the Gaza war. In September 2024, Pope Francis called Israel’s war in Gaza “disproportionate” and “immoral.” In November, he said, “We should investigate carefully to determine whether it fits into the technical definition [of genocide] formulated by jurists and international bodies.”

It is bitterly ironic that Donald Trump and Joe Biden should attend Francis’ funeral as they provided Israel with the 900-kilogramme bombs and other weapons to wage their deadly and destructive war on Gaza which has killed more than 51,000 Palestinians.

While sick and suffering, Pope Francis stood on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica on Easter Sunday, while a colleague read his final statement calling for an end to the “terrible conflict” in Gaza that causes “death and destruction” and a “dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation.” He urged the release of hostages and aid for “starving” Palestinians who want nothing but a peaceful future. Early the next morning, Francis died of a stroke and heart failure.