Men and women, but also children, who were prisoners of Hamas for months after the attack on October 7, were received this Thursday, November 14, by the Holy Father at the Vatican. Many carried a sign with the faces and names of their imprisoned or missing family members.
Salvatore Cernuzio – Vatican City
After months of captivity in Gaza, a group of Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas during the brutal attack of October 7, 2023 were received this morning, November 14, by Pope Francis at the Vatican. Sixteen people, including ten women, four men and two children, were present at the hearing, which took place in the library of the Apostolic Palace.
One of them presented the Pope with a football jersey bearing the name of Tal Shoham, a member of his family kidnapped along with his wife, children, mother-in-law and other members of his family, some of whom were released as part of a temporary ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States. Tal Shoham’s face as well as his age (he celebrated his 39th birthday in captivity) appeared on a sign presented this morning to the Pope.
Other participants in the hearing also showed François the faces of their loved ones. On their sign, a photo, their names, their ages, the words «Bring him home», (“Bring it home”), and the logo of the Hostage and Missing Families Forumthe coordination of relatives of hostages and people missing for more than a year. The Holy Father placed his hand on each of these faces as a sign of blessing. He then remained in silent prayer for a few moments.
A meeting “touching», according to the Israeli embassy to the Holy See, which specifies that the Sovereign Pontiff showed his closeness and his commitment to the release of the other hostages still in captivity in Gaza, in a post published on his account X. 97 hostages are still in the hands of Hamas, 34 of whom are declared dead by Israel.
A child gives the Pope a sports jersey
The Pope’s constant appeals
Constantly since the attack on October 7, Pope Francis has reiterated, in each of his public interventions, his call for the release of those kidnapped, an urgent and necessary condition – with a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the access of the population to humanitarian aid – to a solution to the conflict triggered after the Hamas attack which left more than 1,100 dead and led to the kidnapping of 240 people, including women, the elderly and children.
On April 8, the Sovereign Pontiff met a group of parents of Israeli hostages in the hands of Hamas. And even earlier, on November 22, 2023, he received at the Vatican – on two separate occasions – the parents of Israeli hostages and a delegation of Palestinians whose relatives are paying the very high price of war in Gaza, in a context of he incessant Israeli attacks which have caused destruction and death (more than 43,700 victims according to the latest figure published by the Hamas-led health ministry). On this occasion, Francis wanted “demonstrate spiritual closeness to the suffering of each person“, explained the director of the Holy See Press Room, Matteo Bruni.
Finally, on October 17, the Pope granted a private audience to Ehud Olmert, 78 years old, former Prime Minister of the State of Israel, and to the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian State, Nasser Al- Kidva, received at the Apostolic Palace with a delegation of peace activists. “An important and moving meeting“, the two politicians told Vatican media, during which “the Holy Father has shown extraordinary interest in peace efforts in the Middle East».
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