Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Pope Leo XIV prays at the end of his first weekly general audience at St Peter's Square in The Vatican on May 21, 2025. Photo by Filippo Monteforte/AFP

Article (news)

Pope Leo

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:958px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1747820268747052125_Pope Leo.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Pope Leo XIV prays at the end of his first weekly general audience at St Peter&#x27;s Square in The Vatican on May 21, 2025. Filippo Monteforte, AFP"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Pope Leo XIV prays at the end of his first weekly general audience at St Peter&#x27;s Square in The Vatican on May 21, 2025. <em>Filippo Monteforte, AFP</em></span></span></span></div><p>VATICAN CITY, Holy See — Pope Leo XIV called Wednesday for sufficient humanitarian aid to be allowed into war-ravaged Gaza, where humanitarian agencies say a total blockade has sparked critical food and medicine shortages.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/5/16/more-hollywood-stars-join-protest-over-israel-s-genocide-in-gaza-2035">More Hollywood stars join protest over Israel&#x27;s &#x27;genocide&#x27; in Gaza</a></div><p>&quot;The situation in the Gaza Strip is worrying and painful,&quot; the pope said during his first weekly general audience in St. Peter&#x27;s Square.</p><p>&quot;I renew my heartfelt appeal to allow the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid and to put an end to the hostilities, the heartbreaking price of which is paid by children, the elderly, the sick,&quot; he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/5/19/israel-will-take-control-of-all-of-gaza-says-netanyahu-1855">Israel will &#x27;take control of all&#x27; of Gaza, says Netanyahu</a></div><p>Leo, who was elected on May 8 to be the Catholic Church&#x27;s first US pope, has made peace a theme of his papacy so far, calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/5/19/pope-leo-xiv-receives-vance-rubio-1712">Pope meets Vance ahead of Ukraine ceasefire push</a></div><p>Israel has come under massive international pressure to abandon its intensified military campaign in Gaza and allow urgent humanitarian aid into the besieged strip.</p><p>The UN announced Monday that it had been cleared to send in aid for the first time since Israel imposed a total blockade on March 2, sparking severe shortages of food and medicine.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/5/16/who-says-gaza-s-last-cancer-hospital-stops-working-1214">WHO says Gaza&#x27;s last cancer hospital stops working</a></div><p>But aid groups say the amount allowed in is not enough to meet needs.</p><p>The Israeli army stepped up its offensive in Gaza at the weekend, vowing to defeat Hamas.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uFb5Etmc8oE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iS-mcQixD1Q?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Pope Leo XIV called Wednesday for sufficient humanitarian aid to be allowed into war-ravaged Gaza.</p>

Pope Leo XIV called Wednesday for sufficient humanitarian aid to be allowed into war-ravaged Gaza.

Pope Leo calls for 'sufficient humanitarian aid' into Gaza

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Pope Leo calls for 'sufficient humanitarian aid' into Gaza

Agence France-Presse

Published May 21, 2025 05:38 PM PHT

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Updated May 21, 2025 07:57 PM PHT

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