Jerusalem's Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa said new Pope Leo XIV will not enter into political dynamics and will remain the voice of church in context of poverty and war in a press conference on Tuesday.
Asked about a visit to Gaza, he said it is on the list and will aim to help the population there.
"We cannot understand this, we cannot accept this, and we call all those who have the power to take decision to put this to an end and to solve the conflict in different ways," he added.
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Ordained as a priest at the age of 25, Pierbattista Pizzaballa was appointed as a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023.
Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, is the first pope born in the U.S.
He was elected as the new Catholic pontiff on May 8 and is a relatively unknown figure on the global stage, spending most of his career as a missionary in Peru.
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(Production: Amar Awad, Nuha Sharaf, Lara Afghani)