Castel Gandolfo – Yesterday evening Pope Leo XIV left the Vatican to reach Castel Gandolfo, where he chose to spend a few hours of rest. Tonight, leaving Villa Barberini, the Pontiff spent a few minutes with the reporters present, answering several questions that touched on some troubling issues.
Trump’s plan for Gaza
After weeks of speculation, the White House presented a detailed twenty-point plan aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza, freeing the hostages held by Hamas, and outlining the future of the Palestinian enclave. At the side of President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cautiously welcomed the proposal, describing it as a workable basis.
The document provides, among other things, for the demilitarization of Gaza, the creation of a transitional committee under international supervision, a massive reconstruction program funded by regional partners, and the gradual return of the territory under the control of an international stabilization force. Clear conditions are also set for the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, together with humanitarian guarantees and prospects for economic development. Asked to comment on the proposal, Pope Leo XIV expressed cautious encouragement: “Let’s hope they accept it. So far it seems to be a realistic proposal. It is important that there is a ceasefire and the liberation of the hostages. I hope Hamas accepts it within the established timeframe.”
The issue of the “Flotilla”
Regarding humanitarian initiatives for Gaza, Leo XIV recalled the risks of an operation which, although inspired by humanitarian intentions, remains marked by high tensions: “It is very difficult. It is a desire to respond to a humanitarian emergency, but there are many warnings from all sides. One hopes there will be no violence and that people will be respected.”
The reference is to the Global Sumud Flotilla, a fleet of 44 boats carrying about 300 activists, which departed from Spain and is now sailing in the eastern Mediterranean. The declared goal is to break the naval blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza since 2009 and deliver basic necessities to the Palestinian population. According to the organizers, it is both a political and humanitarian act, aimed at denouncing a measure that, since the start of the war in October 2023, has worsened the food and health crisis in the Strip.
Israel has always prevented such vessels from reaching the coast, in the past even with violent operations, and has already announced that it will act to block the Flotilla, which it considers a security threat. Legally, the issue remains controversial: many international organizations consider the boarding of civilian ships in international waters to be illegal, while Israel invokes the law of naval warfare as established by the San Remo Manual. To complicate matters further, several European warships – including the Italian frigate Alpino and a Spanish unit – are monitoring the route of the Flotilla, without intention to intervene against Israel. For this reason too, the risk of a direct clash remains high, and the Pontiff’s call for prudence appears particularly significant.
The U.S. Defense Secretary’s statements
The Pontiff also commented on statements by the new head of the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, who in Quantico, before hundreds of American generals, urged them to “prepare for war and win it”, upholding peace “through war” and praising Trump’s recent decision to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War, restoring its pre-1947 designation. “This way of speaking is troubling because it shows rising tensions. This vocabulary, even changing from ‘Ministry of Defense’ to ‘Ministry of War,’ is dangerous. I hope it is only a manner of speaking. Certainly, it is a style of government that wants to show strength to impress. Let us hope it works, but that there is no war,” Leo XIV commented.
The Vatican trial on Secretariat of State funds
Leo XIV also spoke again on the ongoing criminal proceedings inside the Vatican: “The first thing is that the trial must continue in its judicial course. I do not intend to interfere. There are judges, qualified people, defense lawyers: we hope it comes to a conclusion.”
It is not the first time the Pope has addressed the subject. In a recently published book interview, he had observed: “We must avoid the bad decisions made in recent years. Much publicity was given to the purchase of that building in Sloane Avenue, London, and to the millions lost in that affair. Already during Francis’ time significant measures were taken to establish new checks and balances on the functioning of financial operations. There have been very positive things in this regard, and the results are beginning to be seen.”
The controversy over Cardinal Cupich and Senator Durbin
A final question concerned the controversy in the United States surrounding Cardinal Blase Cupich, criticized by conservative Catholic circles for conferring an award on Senator Richard Durbin, long targeted for his positions on abortion. The Pontiff responded by inviting a broader and more respectful perspective: “Those who say ‘I am against abortion’ but in favor of the death penalty are not truly pro-life. Those who claim to be against abortion but agree with the inhuman treatment of immigrants, I am not sure they are really pro-life. These are very complex issues, and I believe the work of a senator must be judged as a whole, for what has been accomplished over forty years. I do not believe anyone holds the whole truth on these matters, but I would ask for greater mutual respect. Let us try together, as citizens and as Catholics, to carefully examine these ethical issues and find the way forward. The teaching of the Church on each of these matters is very clear.”
The Holy Father then departed to return to the Vatican City State, where tomorrow morning he will resume the activities scheduled on his agenda.
d.M.B.
Silere non possum