Pope Francis’ claim that Israel action in Gaza could be ‘genocide’ draws criticism

Kate Quiñones   By Kate Quiñones for CNA

November 18, 2024 Catholic News Agency News Briefs 0 Print

 

Pope Francis prays during the Synod on Synodality closing Mass on Oct. 27, 2024, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Staff, Nov 18, 2024 / 18:15 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis’ call for an investigation into claims that a genocide may be happening in Gaza has garnered criticism.

In a passage of a new book published ahead of the 2025 Jubilee Year and released on Sunday, Pope Francis noted that according to some experts, “what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide” and called for a careful investigation, according to Vatican News.

The book by Hernán Reyes Alcaide is titled “Hope Never Disappoints: Pilgrims Toward a Better World” and was written for the occasion of the 2025 Jubilee, which is scheduled to begin Christmas Eve. It includes interviews with Pope Francis and will be released Nov. 19 in Italy, Spain, and Latin America by Edizioni Piemme Publishers. It will be published in other languages at a later date.

Pope Francis said in the book that, “according to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide. It should be carefully investigated to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies.”

“In the Middle East, where the open doors of nations like Jordan or Lebanon continue to be a salvation for millions of people fleeing conflicts in the region: I am thinking above all of those who leave Gaza in the midst of the famine that has struck their Palestinian brothers and sisters given the difficulty of getting food and aid into their territory,” Pope Francis continued.

Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See pushed back against the claim.

Yaron Sideman responded to the pope’s comments on X, highlighting the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of Israeli citizens by Hamas and pointing to Israel’s right to self-defense.

“There was a genocidal massacre on 7 October 2023 of Israeli citizens, and since then, Israel has exercised its right of self-defense against attempts from seven different fronts to kill its citizens,” Sideman stated. “Any attempt to call it by any other name is singling out the Jewish state.”

In a Nov. 18 press release, the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), a global coalition combating antisemitism, also criticized the pope’s remarks, calling them “an eighth front” of the war against Israel.

“The State of Israel is currently facing a war of intended annihilation on seven fronts, and these remarks look like a possible opening of an eighth front, from of all places, the Vatican, which can also lead to the spilling of Jewish blood around the world,” said Sacha Roytman, CEO of CAM. “For a pope who appears to prize even-handedness and peace, we see that the Jewish state once again appears to be the exception.”

In December 2023, South Africa filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice for alleged violations against the Genocide Convention, according to Reuters. The court has yet to rule on the charges.

A United Nations Special Committee on Nov. 14 released a report claiming that “Israel’s warfare in Gaza is consistent with the characteristics of genocide, with mass civilian casualties and life-threatening conditions intentionally imposed on Palestinians there.”

“Since the beginning of the war, Israeli officials have publicly supported policies that strip Palestinians of the very necessities required to sustain life — food, water, and fuel,” the committee stated. “These statements along with the systematic and unlawful interference of humanitarian aid make clear Israel’s intent to instrumentalize lifesaving supplies for political and military gains.”

Pope Francis on Nov. 14 met with several hostages recently freed from months of captivity in Gaza. Sixteen people attended the meeting last Thursday. One attendee, a young boy, gave the pope a football jersey with the name “Tal Shoham,” the name of a family member who was taken hostage along with his wife, children, mother-in-law, and other relatives, Vatican News reported.

On Oct. 7, 2023, 1,200 people died after Islamic terrorists attacked Israel, taking 252 people hostage. According to Reuters, Palestinian health authorities say more than 41,500 people have been killed by Israel in Gaza.

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Pope Francis appoints new head of Vatican security

October 15, 2019 CNA Daily News 0

Vatican City, Oct 15, 2019 / 04:39 am (CNA).- Pope Francis Tuesday appointed the second-in-command of Vatican security to head the City State’s national police force, after the resignation of the former chief Oct. 14.

The pope named Oct. 15, Gianluca Gauzzi Broccoletti, who has worked as part of the Vatican’s gendarmerie since 1995, and has been vice director and vice commander of the Vatican security and civil protection services since 2018.

Broccoletti’s nomination follows the resignation of Domenico Giani, who resigned after a confidential internal memo was leaked to the press that announced the suspension of some Vatican officials and employees and restricted their access to the Vatican.

The suspended officials were connected to an Oct. 1 raid of some Vatican offices, part an unspecified investigation overseen by a prosecutor, called the “promoter of justice” in the Vatican City court system.

The Vatican press office said Giani was not personally responsible for the leak.

Giani was Commander of the Vatican Gendarmerie, and had been a part of the Vatican’s security and police force for more than 20 years. The leaked memo, issued Oct 2, was signed by Giani and published by L’Espresso.

The memo was issued after the Oct. 1 raid of offices within the offices of the Vatican’s Secretariat of State. Among the suspended employees is Msgr. Mauro Carlino, who oversees documentation at the Secretariat of State, along with layman Tomasso Di Ruzza, director of the Vatican’s Financial Intelligence Authority.

Two other men and one woman were also listed as suspended in the memo. During the raid, documents and devices were taken in connection to an investigation following complaints made last summer by the Institute for Religious Works – commonly called the Vatican Bank – and the Office of the Auditor General, concerning a series of financial transactions “carried out over time,” an Oct. 1 Vatican statement said.

Broccoletti, 45, has worked as part of the Vatican gendarmerie and in Vatican security since 1995. Since 1999, he was responsible for the City State’s cyber security and technological infrastructure. He is married with two children.

The Secretariat of State is the central governing office of the Catholic Church and the department of the Roman Curia which works most closely with the pope. It is also responsible for the governance of the Vatican City state. The Vatican’s Financial Intelligence Authority oversees suspicious financial transactions, and is charged with ensuring that Vatican banking policies comply with international financial standards.

The Vatican Gendarmerie collaborates with the Pontifical Swiss Guard, which is responsible for the personal protection of Pope Francis. The Gendarmerie oversee general security operations in the Vatican City State, along with criminal investigations and counterterrorism operations.

Details about the nature of the investigation at the Secretariat of State have not yet been forthcoming.

 

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