Saint Joseph Catholic Church

“They say that in ten minutes there were ten almost simultaneous strikes,” he said. “A very large number of Israeli warplanes were used.”

“All day, we were accompanied by mortar fire due to clashes between Hezbollah and Israel,” he continued. “We saw this all day long. Now there is heavy traffic, the city is congested, there are sirens and ambulances in the center—Beirut is in turmoil. Israeli raids are still ongoing.”

“As is known, Israel seeks the disarmament of Hezbollah, and this goal has not been achieved,” he added. “A truce would reopen the door to diplomacy ... War is bringing destruction, death, many displaced people, and many painful and difficult situations.”

The director of the Holy See Press Office briefed journalists on Pope Leo’s upcoming apostolic journey to four African nations and described the trip as a “journey through the richness and diversity of this great continent, populated by diverse peoples and worlds.”

“Sport contributes to the maturing of our character, requires a steadfast spirituality and is a fruitful form of education,” Pope Leo said. “Through sport, we learn to know our own bodies without idolizing them, to control our emotions, to compete without losing our sense of fraternity, to accept defeat without despair and victory without arrogance.”

“The genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi is an indelible stain on humanity and particularly on the Rwandan nation,” the bishops said. “Remembering our painful history is not meant to fuel hatred or revenge but to preserve the memory of those who died and to affirm that death does not erase the deep bonds that unite us.”