Palestinian leaders, including President Mahmud Abbas, Gaza’s Christian community, and Hamas, have jointly urged newly elected Pope Leo XIV to carry forward the peace-driven legacy of his predecessor, Pope Francis.
In a statement issued late Thursday, Abbas offered “best wishes for the success of Pope Leo XIV in the pursuit of his noble task,” emphasizing the Vatican’s “moral, religious and political role” in defending just causes, especially Palestinian rights to liberty and independence.
Pope Leo XIV — formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago — became the first American pontiff in a surprise conclave decision.
In Gaza, Christians expressed hope that the new pope would continue Pope Francis’s strong advocacy for peace in the war-ravaged enclave. “We hope that his heart will remain with Gaza like Pope Francis,” said George Antone, head of the emergency committee at Gaza’s Holy Family Church, where mourners recently held mass for the late pontiff.
Hamas also welcomed Leo XIV’s election, expressing confidence he would “continue the late Pope’s path in supporting the oppressed and rejecting the genocide in Gaza.”
The Holy Family Church currently shelters 450 Christians, along with elderly and children—including 30 Muslims—amid ongoing Israeli military operations that have killed over 52,000 Palestinians since October 2023, according to health authorities in Gaza.
In a statement issued late Thursday, Abbas offered “best wishes for the success of Pope Leo XIV in the pursuit of his noble task,” emphasizing the Vatican’s “moral, religious and political role” in defending just causes, especially Palestinian rights to liberty and independence.
Pope Leo XIV — formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago — became the first American pontiff in a surprise conclave decision.
In Gaza, Christians expressed hope that the new pope would continue Pope Francis’s strong advocacy for peace in the war-ravaged enclave. “We hope that his heart will remain with Gaza like Pope Francis,” said George Antone, head of the emergency committee at Gaza’s Holy Family Church, where mourners recently held mass for the late pontiff.
Hamas also welcomed Leo XIV’s election, expressing confidence he would “continue the late Pope’s path in supporting the oppressed and rejecting the genocide in Gaza.”
The Holy Family Church currently shelters 450 Christians, along with elderly and children—including 30 Muslims—amid ongoing Israeli military operations that have killed over 52,000 Palestinians since October 2023, according to health authorities in Gaza.
