Ailing Pope Francis Meets With European Rabbis

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Facts

  • Pope Francis, who hosted European rabbis in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace on Monday, has criticized the spread of anti semitic attacks worldwide and advocated for dialogue to build peace, in a clear reference to the Israel-Hamas war.1
  • The 86-year-old pontiff opted to forego delivering his speech at the start of the week, as he had 'a cold' and faced 'a long day of audiences.' The decision set off a brief scare over his health.2
  • The pope, who appeared to be in good health mere hours later, presided over a meeting with at least 7K children from around the world in the Vatican's audience hall.3
  • Francis has had several hospitalizations in recent years, including a critical intestinal surgery. He often opts to use a cane or a wheelchair due to of knee problems and sciatica.4
  • This meeting comes a day after the Catholic leader renewed calls for a cease-fire in the Holy Land and the release of the more than 200 people who have been taken hostage during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.5
  • Francis also held a phone call with Iranian Pres. Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday to discuss the conflict. He has already urged the creation of humanitarian corridors to ease the situation in Gaza and expressed support for a two-state solution.6

Sources: 1Associated Press, 2FOX News, 3Reuters, 4The New York Times, 5Vatican News and 6Tehran Times.

Narratives

  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by National Catholic Reporter. Though the Biden admin. claims to be aligned with Pope Francis in relation to the Israel-Hamas war, they simply couldn't be more at odds. While the US is supporting Israel to perpetuate a humanitarian cataclysm in Gaza, the pontiff has insisted that war is no tool for building peace. Never-ending cycles of violence have long fueled violence in the Middle East, so it's time to address the root causes through dialogue.
  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Catholic Herald. As the West diplomatically engages with leaders in the Middle East to prevent an escalation to a wider regional conflict, the Vatican is the best-positioned actor to persuade Tehran to exercise restraint amid growing concerns about the role of Iranian-backed militias in Lebanon and Syria in the war. The international community can only hope that Pope Francis succeeds in his spiritual and diplomatic efforts.

Predictions