A displaced Sudanese woman who fled El Fasher (AFP or licensors)
Pope appeals for ceasefire and humanitarian access for
Sudan
Pope Leo XIV appeals for an immediate ceasefire and
humanitarian corridors in Sudan, calling for international action and prayer
for the victims. Speaking during the Angelus address he also calls for peace
and dialogue in Tanzania following post-election clashes that have caused
hundreds of deaths.
By Vatican News
Pope Leo XIV on Sunday appealed for a ceasefire, the
intervention of the international community and the opening of humanitarian
corridors and aid delivery in war-ravaged Sudan.
“With great sorrow, I am following the tragic news coming
from Sudan, particularly from the city of El Fasher in the afflicted northern
Darfur region,” Pope Leo said during the Angelus address.
He decried the “Indiscriminate violence against women and
children, attacks on unarmed civilians, and serious obstacles to humanitarian
action,” that he said, “are causing unacceptable suffering to a population
already exhausted by long months of conflict.”
Pope Leo’s words of concern over the ongoing violence in
Sudan, and his particular reference to the onslaught in the city of El Fasher
in North Darfur, come in the wake of a siege of the city where militias are
reportedly committing grave atrocities against the civilian population.
Appeals
He invited the faithful to pray for victims and urged
responsible parties to halt hostilities.
“Let us pray that the Lord may receive the deceased, sustain
those who suffer, and touch the hearts of those responsible,” he said, and
renewed “an urgent appeal to the parties involved for a ceasefire and the
prompt opening of humanitarian corridors.”
He also called on the international community “to intervene
with determination and generosity, to offer assistance and support those who
devote themselves to providing aid.”
Opposition supporters rally in protest (AFP or
licensors)
Unrest in Tanzania
Turning his attention to the East African nation of
Tanzania, Pope Leo referred to recent political developments in the country
following elections.
“Let us also pray for Tanzania, where, after the recent
political elections, clashes have broken out with numerous victims,” he said.
He invited all involved to “avoid all forms of violence and
to follow the path of dialogue.”
A presidential election in Tanzania on Wednesday triggered
three days of violent protests after the main rival candidates were excluded
from the race and President Samia Suhulu Hassan was declared the winner with 98
percent of the vote.
Hundreds of people were reportedly killed during the
protests following the election. The opposition has called for an independent
investigation.
Mass for the deceased
Finally, the Pope announced that he will celebrate Mass on
Sunday afternoon at Rome’s Verano cemetery in memory of the deceased.
“Spiritually, I will go to the graves of my loved ones, and
I will also pray for the dead whom no one remembers,” he said, affirming that
“our heavenly Father knows and loves us one by one and forgets no one.”
The Pope concluded, encouraging those present to remember
“our departed.”
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