VATICAN CITY — In his Sunday Angelus address, Pope Leo XIV appealed for the fighting in Yemen to stop. Taiz drew his particular concern: a city whose people, he said, are living without food, water and medical care.
After the Marian prayer in St. Peter’s Square, he said: “I am following with concern the grave humanitarian situation in Yemen, particularly in the city of Taiz, where the population is suffering from a lack of food, water, and medical care.”
“I make a heartfelt appeal for hostilities to cease and for the Yemeni people and all the peoples of the region to be guaranteed the right to live in peace.”
He turned then to Jordan — to the victims of Friday’s attack on the Orthodox Church of St. George in Hamoud.
“My prayers go out to all those who were injured or lost their lives last Friday in the terrorist attack on worshippers at the Orthodox Church of St. George in Hamoud, Jordan,” he said. “I express my closeness to the community and the entire country, which is known for its peaceful coexistence and respect between different religions.”
Before the prayer, Leo reflected on love of neighbor. “Dear friends, we cannot truly love God unless this love overflows into love for our brothers and sisters,” he said. “And we cannot truly love our neighbor except as children of the same Father who loved us first in his Son, Jesus.”
At the end, Leo asked the faithful to keep praying for peace and pointed to a meeting of religious leaders in Assisi on Tuesday. He had been due to go, but the Vatican said Friday that doctors advised him to cancel, Reuters reported.
Reuters reported that Leo reached the window of the Apostolic Palace unaided and spoke in a firm, clear voice. Sunday’s address came less than two weeks after the Oct. 13 operation that removed the lower lobe of his right lung. Doctors said last week he needs no further treatment, according to Reuters.
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