Pope Leo shares prayer intentions today: humanitarian crisis in Yemen, terrorist attack in Jordan, remembering Assisi 1986 with JPII

 

At least 11 killed in Saudi-led airstrikes in Sana'a, Yemen's Houthi group says (ANSA)

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• Yemen
• peace
• Jordan
• Pope John Paul II

Pope appeals for end to hostilities in Yemen and prays for Jordan attack victims

Following the Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo XIV draws attention to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, remembers the victims in Jordan, and looks ahead to the Assisi gathering marking 40 years since the first World Day of Prayer for Peace.

By Francesca Merlo

Pope Leo XIV appealed for an end to hostilities in Yemen and prayed for the victims of a terrorist attack against churchgoers in Jordan, as he addressed the faithful following the Angelus on Sunday, 25 October.

The Pope also looked ahead to the gathering of Church leaders and religious leaders in Assisi on 27 October, marking forty years since the meeting convened by Saint John Paul II.

Appeal for Yemen

Expressing concern over the grave humanitarian situation in Yemen, Pope Leo drew particular attention to the city of Taiz, “where the population is suffering from a lack of food, water and medical care”.
 

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“I make a heartfelt appeal for hostilities to cease and for the Yemeni people and all the peoples of the region to be guaranteed a life of peace,” he said.

In Taiz, fighting and road closures have cut off vital supplies, leaving civilians facing growing shortages of water, food and fuel. The United Nations has called for urgent humanitarian access, warning that hospitals are struggling to maintain essential services as stocks of medicines and oxygen run low. Shortages are also threatening community kitchens that provide meals to vulnerable families.

Victims in Jordan

Turning to Jordan, Pope Leo assured his prayers for those killed and injured in Friday’s attack against the faithful of St George’s Orthodox Church in Harmoud.

“I am close to that community and to the entire country, which stands out for its peaceful coexistence and respect among different religions,” he said.

Nine people were killed and around forty wounded when gunmen opened fire during a funeral at the church in Jordan’s Karak governorate on the 23rd of October. Authorities are continuing their search for the attackers, and no group has claimed responsibility. 

The grounds of Saint George's Greek Orthodox Church where gunmen opened fire during a funeral   (ALAA AL SUKHNI)

Forty years since 1986 Assisi prayer gathering

“Let us continue to pray together for peace,” the Pope urged, inviting the faithful to unite spiritually with the Church leaders and religious leaders gathering in Assisi on Tuesday, the 27th of October.

The meeting marks the fortieth anniversary of the gathering convened by Saint John Paul II in 1986, which brought together representatives of different religions to pray for peace.

“Never before has it been so evident that wars, besides sowing death and destruction, impoverish and damage the world,” Pope Leo said.

“May the Lord inspire choices of dialogue and peace," he concluded.

World Day of Prayer for Peace, 1986

Pope Francis expresses extreme concern for human suffering in Yemen

 

A freed Houthi prisoner is decorated with necklaces of jasmine  (ANSA)

WORLD

• YEMEN
• WAR
• VIOLENCE

Push for peace underway in Yemen

As a glimmer of hope appears on the horizon for Yemen, Pope Francis calls on the faithful to remember the suffering people of the country.

By Nathan Morley and Joseph Tulloch

Speaking at his general audience on Wednesday morning, Pope Francis called for prayers for Yemen, “a land that has been wounded for many years by a terrible, forgotten war, which has caused so many deaths and still causes so many people to suffer, especially children.”

His words came as a glimmer of hope was appearing on the horizon for the war-torn nation.

Saudi Arabia has allowed over 100 detainees to return to the country, following simultaneous prisoner exchanges between Yemen's warring parties.

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross and a Saudi-led coalition, the prisoner release was a unilateral move.

On Monday, UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg – speaking at a Security Council meeting - stated that despite recent positive developments, the opposing parties need to commit to their responsibilities to achieve lasting peace.

Grundberg said he had not seen such a serious opportunity for making progress towards ending the conflict in eight years.

However, a United Nations brokered ceasefire that started in April 2022 has dramatically reduced casualties. The truce terminated in October, but fighting since then has been limited.

Pope Francis has been following the crisis in Yemen with great concern. The country has been embroiled in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia stormed several northern cities and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa.

The UN says the ongoing conflict has left children and families in urgent need of food, water, and medical supplies. UNICEF reports 3.2 million children are internally displaced.

Kidnapped Priest is safe

Report: Priest kidnapped in Yemen in 2016 has been released

• In Global Church
• Crux Staff
  September 12, 2017
  AUTHOR

Father Thomas Uzhunnalil, abducted in Yemen in March, pleads for his release in a video uploaded the day after Christmas 2016. (Credit: Youtube.)

India’s Foreign Minister tweeted out on Tuesday that Father Tom Uzhunnalil, a missionary priest kidnapped by Islamic militants in Yemen in September 2016 at a home for the elderly in the southern port city of Aden, has been released. According to reports, Uzhunnalil is presently in Oman, and will be flown back to Kerala in India later on Tuesday.

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ROME - India’s Foreign Minister tweeted out on Tuesday that Father Tom Uzhunnalil, a missionary priest kidnapped by Islamic militants in Yemen in September 2016 at a home for the elderly in the southern port city of Aden, has been released.
Uzhunnali was kidnapped during an attack on the missionary compound in which gunmen posing as relatives of one of the residents at the home burst inside, killing sixteen people, including four Indian nuns belonging to the Missionaries of Charity, the order of founded by Mother Teresa.
According to reports, Uzhunnali is presently in Oman, and will be flown back to Kerala in India later on Tuesday. Apparently, he was set free after the intervention of the Oman foreign ministry.
Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, who insisted during recent months that the Indian government knew who was holding Uzhunnalil and was engaged in negotiating for his freedom, tweeted out Tuesday that the priest had been released.
“I am happy to inform that Fr Tom Uzhunnalil has been rescued,” she said.
A daily newspaper in the Gulf country, Oman Observer, reported that the priest thanked God Almighty and expressed gratitude to Sultan Qaboos of Oman for securing his release. Uzhunnalil reportedly also thanked his brothers and sisters and all relatives and friends.
In a video released last May, apparently by his abductor, Uzhunnalil pleaded for help. “They are treating me well to the extent they are able,” he said, speaking slowly in English, and seeming obviously emaciated.
“My health condition is deteriorating quickly, and I require hospitalization as early as possible,” he added in the recording. The date “April 15, 2017” was written on cardboard pasted on his body.
The priest said his kidnappers had contacted the Indian government and the Catholic bishop in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates with their demands.
“My dear family people, do what you can to help me be released. Please, please do what you can to help to get me released. May God bless you for that,” he said.
Cardinal Baselios Cleemis told Crux on Tuesday, “God has answered our prayers. We thank the Government of India. The Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs took personal interest in securing the release of Fr Tom.”
Sister Mary Prema Pierick, the superior general of the Missionaries of Charity, said she was overwhelmed by the good news.

“I praise God for his Mercy,” Prema said in a statement. “We had never given up hope that one day father Tom would be released.”
She said the priest’s photograph had been put on the tomb of Mother Teresa, and the sisters of the order had been praying for his release each day.
“We give all glory to God and we thank all those who prayed and worked tirelessly for father Tom’s release,” Prema said.