O The Pope entered the Paul VI audience room in the Vatican alone with a cane to participate in the general audience and read his previously prepared text in a clear voice.

When discussing the virtue of patience during the general audience, Francis renewed his call for peace and the immediate cessation of ongoing conflicts in the world.

Francisco highlighted during the audience that there were two special people in the Paul VI room — “two fathers” –, one Palestinian and the other Israeli.

The Pope declared that both lost their daughters in the conflicts affecting the Middle East and that “both are friends”.

“They didn’t look at the enmity created by the war. (…) They looked for friendship between two men who cared about each other and who went through the same crucifixion,” he said.

The Vatican’s communications office said that Abir, daughter of Palestinian Bassam Aramin, was killed in 2007 by an Israeli soldier as she left school. Israeli Rami Elhanan’s daughter, Smadar, was killed in a 1997 attack in Jerusalem. The story of the two men’s friendship was told in the novel ‘Apeirogon’, by Colum McCann.

Francis met with the two men privately before the general audience and greeted them warmly at the end.

The audience was Francis’ first public event since the Palm Sunday mass in St. Peter’s Square, when he decided at the last minute to skip the homily, avoiding speaking at the beginning of Holy Week, which will increasingly test his health. fragile.

Francis has been fighting intermittently throughout the winter with respiratory problems, which have caused the cancellation of events and left the Pope very weak, needing the help of his advisors.

The Vatican also today released the Pope’s Easter letter, in which Francis tells Catholics in the Holy Land that they are “not alone.”

“You are not alone and we will not leave you alone, we will remain in solidarity with you through prayer and practical charity,” said Francis.

You can see today’s images in the photo gallery above.

Read Also: Pope Francis ‘skips’ Palm Sunday homily at the last minute

Source: https://www.noticiasaominuto.com/mundo/2529533/papa-mostra-melhoras-e-apela-ao-fim-dos-conflitos-no-mundo

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