Pope Leo looks vigorous for his age. I just learned that a lawyer friend of mine acted in Julius Caesar (he was Brutus) to Pope Leo's Caesar at the Augustinian Seminary that once was located in Holland, Michigan. What a small world.
"The situation in the Gaza Strip is increasingly worrying and painful. I renew my heartfelt appeal to allow the entry of dignified humanitarian aid and to put an end to the hostilities, the heart-rending price of which is being paid by children, the elderly and the sick."
-- Father Romanelli: Pope Leo XIV gives us new encouragement to persevere
Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest of the Holy Family Church, tells Vatican News about the tough humanitarian situation in Gaza, but also expresses his gratitude to Pope Leo XIV for “his words of peace.”\
“More than the lack of food, clean water, and medicine, more than the threat to our safety, what worries me most is that hope might be lost,” Fr. Romanelli explained.
Father Romanelli:
"Thanks to the help we’ve received from the Church and many friends around the world, we’ve been able to help not only our parishioners but tens of thousands of families — regardless of religion or origin — who come to us seeking help.
"But for nearly three months now, we’ve received nothing from outside the Strip. All aid — whether food, water, or medicine — is blocked at the entrance by the Israeli army.
"We still have some flour to bake bread, but we have to sift it multiple times because it’s full of worms. We also have to purify all our water to prevent disease.
Pope at Regina Caeli: ‘We cannot forget those suffering due to war’
"Now we have to manage our remaining supplies very carefully for the nearly 500 refugees we are sheltering, including about 50 children cared for by the Sisters of Mother Teresa.
"We cannot find diapers anywhere in the Strip...
"The situation with medicine is desperate. We’ve completely run out, which is especially dangerous for those with chronic conditions — heart patients, people with high blood pressure, diabetics — who now have no access to treatment.
"Pope Francis’ 8:00 p.m. call became known as “the Pope’s hour.” Even now, every evening at 8, we ring the bells with the Angelus to remember those calls.
"Some people, when they hear the bells, still shout, “Good evening, Holy Father!” because his presence is still felt among us.
What Pope Francis did for us was absolutely extraordinary — unprecedented in history.
"With Pope Leo XIV, we immediately felt a new encouragement to persevere, especially when — we had set up a screen in the church and, fortunately, had both electricity and internet that evening — he began his ministry with a prayer for peace.
"We were all together — Catholics, Orthodox, and many Muslim friends — rejoicing to hear the new Pope plead for peace: for Gaza and for the world.
Q: Father Gabriel, would you like to take this opportunity to send a message to Pope Leo?
"Absolutely. I want to tell him how grateful we are for his words of peace, and that our entire community is praying for him. And not just us — Catholics, Orthodox, and Muslims alike feel they have a father.
"The closeness of Pope Francis was the closeness of the entire Church.
"And we continue to feel that closeness with Pope Leo. He is the Successor of Peter, father of the Church, and father of all. Of all."
3 comments:
Pope Leo looks vigorous for his age. I just learned that a lawyer friend of mine acted in Julius Caesar (he was Brutus) to Pope Leo's Caesar at the Augustinian Seminary that once was located in Holland, Michigan. What a small world.
Pope Leo XIV.. From: Today's General Audience:
"The situation in the Gaza Strip is increasingly worrying and painful. I renew my heartfelt appeal to allow the entry of dignified humanitarian aid and to put an end to the hostilities, the heart-rending price of which is being paid by children, the elderly and the sick."
=======
From: Vatican News today: Excerpts:
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2025-05/fr-romanelli-with-pope-leo-we-felt-a-new-encouragement.html
-- Father Romanelli: Pope Leo XIV gives us new encouragement to persevere
Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest of the Holy Family Church, tells Vatican News about the tough humanitarian situation in Gaza, but also expresses his gratitude to Pope Leo XIV for “his words of peace.”\
“More than the lack of food, clean water, and medicine, more than the threat to our safety, what worries me most is that hope might be lost,” Fr. Romanelli explained.
Father Romanelli:
"Thanks to the help we’ve received from the Church and many friends around the world, we’ve been able to help not only our parishioners but tens of thousands of families — regardless of religion or origin — who come to us seeking help.
"But for nearly three months now, we’ve received nothing from outside the Strip. All aid — whether food, water, or medicine — is blocked at the entrance by the Israeli army.
"We still have some flour to bake bread, but we have to sift it multiple times because it’s full of worms. We also have to purify all our water to prevent disease.
Pope at Regina Caeli: ‘We cannot forget those suffering due to war’
"Now we have to manage our remaining supplies very carefully for the nearly 500 refugees we are sheltering, including about 50 children cared for by the Sisters of Mother Teresa.
"We cannot find diapers anywhere in the Strip...
"The situation with medicine is desperate. We’ve completely run out, which is especially dangerous for those with chronic conditions — heart patients, people with high blood pressure, diabetics — who now have no access to treatment.
"Pope Francis’ 8:00 p.m. call became known as “the Pope’s hour.” Even now, every evening at 8, we ring the bells with the Angelus to remember those calls.
"Some people, when they hear the bells, still shout, “Good evening, Holy Father!” because his presence is still felt among us.
What Pope Francis did for us was absolutely extraordinary — unprecedented in history.
"With Pope Leo XIV, we immediately felt a new encouragement to persevere, especially when — we had set up a screen in the church and, fortunately, had both electricity and internet that evening — he began his ministry with a prayer for peace.
"We were all together — Catholics, Orthodox, and many Muslim friends — rejoicing to hear the new Pope plead for peace: for Gaza and for the world.
Q: Father Gabriel, would you like to take this opportunity to send a message to Pope Leo?
"Absolutely. I want to tell him how grateful we are for his words of peace, and that our entire community is praying for him. And not just us — Catholics, Orthodox, and Muslims alike feel they have a father.
"The closeness of Pope Francis was the closeness of the entire Church.
"And we continue to feel that closeness with Pope Leo. He is the Successor of Peter, father of the Church, and father of all. Of all."
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Por Francis was a flop -except to the non sentient
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