Pope Francis Speaks by Phone with Iranian President

Pope Francis, in his continued efforts for peace in the Holy Land, engaged in a conversation with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on the afternoon of Sunday, Nov. 5, as confirmed by the Holy See.

Photo credit: Miryam Leon

Highlights

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
11/6/2023 (1 year ago)

Published in Middle East

Keywords: Pope Francis, Holy Land, Peace, Iran, Abrahamic religions, Gaza

The Vatican has verified that the call occurred at the request of President Raisi. According to a statement from the Iranian president's office, Raisi expressed gratitude to the Holy Father for his appeals for peace and emphasized the duty of followers of all Abrahamic religions to "support the oppressed people of Palestine."

During the conversation, Raisi urged Pope Francis to use his influence in the West to put an end to the attacks in Gaza, which he described as "the greatest genocide of the century." He also asked the Holy Father to help clarify the positions of the oppressor and the oppressed in the ongoing conflict.

On Nov. 5, during his Angelus address, Pope Francis renewed his call for a cease-fire and expressed hope that every effort would be made to prevent an escalation of the conflict, ensuring the rescue of the wounded and providing humanitarian aid to the population of Gaza, where the situation is extremely dire. He also called for the immediate release of hostages, particularly children, held by Hamas in Gaza.

This phone call adds to the series of discussions that Pope Francis has had with various world leaders since the outbreak of hostilities initiated by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7. Notably, he discussed the conflict with U.S. President Joe Biden on Oct. 22, emphasizing the need to find paths to peace. On Oct. 26, Pope Francis conversed with the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, addressing the situation in the Holy Land.

Furthermore, on Oct. 27, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin called for the prevention of an escalation in the conflict between Israel and Hamas and announced the potential for a meeting between Pope Francis and the families of hostages held by the terrorist group in Gaza.

Archbishop Paul Gallagher, secretary for relations with states, engaged in a telephone conversation with Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, on Oct. 30, expressing the Holy See's grave concern about the situation in Israel and Palestine.

On Nov. 3, the Vatican confirmed that Pope Francis had a telephone conversation with Mahmoud Abbas, the President of Palestine, underlining the ongoing commitment of the Holy See to promote peace and stability in the Holy Land.