Vatican City (AP): Pope Leo XIV called for humanitarian aid to reach the Gaza Strip and for an end to the “heartbreaking” toll on its people, as he presided over his first general audience in St. Peter's Square.
The Vatican said that around 40,000 people were on hand for the audience, which came just days after an estimated 200,000 people attended the inaugural Mass on Sunday for history's first American pope.
Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago, began the audience with a tour through the piazza in the popemobile and stopped to bless several babies. In addressing specific greetings to different groups of pilgrims, Leo spoke in his native English, his fluent Spanish as well as the traditional Italian of the papacy.
“I renew my heartfelt appeal to allow the entrance of dignified humanitarian aid to Gaza and to put an end to the hostilities whose heartbreaking price is being paid by children, the elderly, and sick people,” he said.
The general audience on Wednesdays is a weekly appointment that popes have kept for decades to allow ordinary faithful to have a face-to-face encounter with the pontiff. It features the pope delivering a brief reflection on a theme or Scripture passage, with summaries provided by others in different languages and the pope directing specific messages to particular faith groups.
The encounter, which lasts more than an hour, usually ends with a brief topical appeal by the pope about a current issue or upcoming event. Leo began it with his now-frequent mantra “Peace be with you.”
To that end, Leo on Tuesday reaffirmed the Vatican's willingness to host the next round of ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine during a phone call with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, the Italian leader's office said.
Meloni made the call after speaking with U.S. President Donald Trump and other European leaders, who asked her to verify the Holy See's offer.
“Finding in the Holy Father the confirmation of the willingness to welcome the next talks between the parties, the premier expressed profound gratitude for Pope Leo XIV's willingness and his incessant commitment in favor of peace,” Meloni's office said in a statement late Tuesday.
Trump had referred to the Vatican's longstanding offer to host talks in reporting on his phone call Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
While low-level talks could take place in Rome, Italy would be hard-pressed to allow Putin to fly into Rome for any higher-level negotiation. Putin is subject to an international arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, of which Italy is a founding member and therefore obliged to execute its warrants.
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Manchester, Jul 27 (PTI): Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Shubman Gill struck fine hundreds as India secured a morale-boosting draw in the 4th Test here on Sunday.
The stalemate was achieved after Gill (103), Rahul (90), Jadeja (107 not out), and Washington (101 not out) fired with the bat on a fifth day pitch after India started their second innings 311 runs in arrears.
England lead the series 2-1 heading into the fifth and final Test.
For skipper Gill, this was his fourth century of the ongoing rubber as he became the first Asian batter to cross 700 runs in a Test series in England.
Earlier in the day, opener Rahul was dismissed by Ben Stokes for a doughty 90, ending a 188-run partnership for the third wicket with Gill.
Resuming the day on 174 for two and with a deficit of 137 runs, overnight batter Gill completed his hundred before falling to Jofra Archer just before lunch at Old Trafford.
Brief scores:
India: 358 and 425/4 in 143 overs (KL Rahul 90, Shubman Gill 103, Ravindra Jadeja 107, Washington Sundar 101; Chris Woakes 2/67)
England 1st innings: 669 all out in 157.1 overs (Joe Root 150, Ben Stokes 141, Ben Duckett 94, Zak Crawley 84; Ravindra Jadeja 4/143).