VATICAN CITY (RNS) — After meeting separately with Pope Francis on Wednesday (Nov. 22), Israeli and Palestinian delegations vying for the pontiff’s support in the crisis in the Mideast made conflicting claims about Francis’ choice of words to describe the conflict, leaving Vatican officials straining to clear up the confusion.Twelve relatives of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas militants in the attack on Oct. 7 met with Francis at the Vatican in the morning on Wednesday and emerged saying they hoped the pope would intercede for the liberation of the hostages, during a news conference after the meeting.
According to one participant, Yair Rotem, Francis called Hamas’ attack a terrorist act and did not aim any criticism at Israel. But another relative of an Israeli hostage voiced “disappointment” that the pope did not explicitly call out Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Since the war broke out, the pope has tried to promote peace through diplomacy, characteristically taking care not to favor either side. During his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square earlier in the day Wednesday, Francis spoke about “how both sides suffer.” But he also said that what is happening in the Holy Land “is not war. This is terrorism.”
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According to one participant, Yair Rotem, Francis called Hamas’ attack a terrorist act and did not aim any criticism at Israel. But another relative of an Israeli hostage voiced “disappointment” that the pope did not explicitly call out Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Since the war broke out, the pope has tried to promote peace through diplomacy, characteristically taking care not to favor either side. During his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square earlier in the day Wednesday, Francis spoke about “how both sides suffer.” But he also said that what is happening in the Holy Land “is not war. This is terrorism.”
RELATED: Pope Francis voices ‘concern’ over German Synodal Path
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