Pope Francis turns 87: he denounces attacks in Gaza and asks for Darien

He Pope Francisco He celebrated his 87th birthday today with a “circus party” in the Paul VI Hall of the Vatican in which there was cake and was accompanied by children and their families from a pediatric hospital of the Holy See.

Traditionally, in the Vatican, birthdays are not celebrated, but rather name days, but the “party” Francisco’s birthday celebration has already become a tradition.

This morning, according to Vatican News, Francis went to the Paul VI Hall of the Vaticanvery close to his personal residence, to participate in the party organized by the Santa Marta Dispensary, a pediatric center of the Holy See founded a century ago, in 1922.

More than 200 families who go to said hospital, as well as their doctors and volunteers, participated in the event, and it was entertained by shows and juggling by a circus group.

Pope denounces attack on a parish in Gaza

The Pope today denounced the attack on the parish of the Holy Family of the Gaza Strip in which two women were murdered and said that inside “there are no terrorists” but “unarmed civilians” and religious.

“I continue to receive very serious and painful news from Gaza. “Unarmed civilians are shot and this has happened even in the parish complex of the Holy Family where there are no terrorists, but families, children, the sick, the disabled and nuns.”lamented the pontiff after the Angelus from the window of the Apostolic Palace.

The Argentine pontiff denounced the murder of a mother and her daughter, whose names he publicly pronounced, “while they were going to the bathroom.”

Francis was referring to the attack by Israeli forces – to which he did not refer – to that Christian parish in the Gaza Strip, alluding that a rocket launcher was hidden inside, reports Vatican News.

“The house of Mother Teresa’s nuns has been damaged, their generator hit… There are those who say it is terrorism. It is war and terrorism. Scripture affirms that God causes war to cease, breaks bows and breaks spears. Let us pray to the Lord for peace.” he said before hundreds of faithful who listened to him in St. Peter’s Square.

“Let us not forget our brothers and sisters suffering from war in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel and other conflict zones. May the proximity of Christmas reinforce the commitment to open paths of peace,” he predicted.

Francis asks for help from immigrants in the Darien jungle

In addition, Pope Francis today lamented the situation of the thousands of immigrants that cross the dangerous jungle of Darien between Colombia and Panama, and claimed “a humanitarian response” for “avoid this tragic reality.”

“I wish to remember the thousands of immigrants who try to cross the jungle between Colombia and Panama. These are often families with children who venture on dangerous routes, deceived by those who falsely promise them a short and safe route, mistreated and robbed,” he said after praying the Angelus from the window of the Apostolic Palace.

And I add: “They cannot lose their lives in that jungle. “The joint effort of the most directly interested countries and the international community is needed to prevent this tragic reality from being silenced and to offer a humanitarian response.”

He Darien Gapa jungle region that separates South America from Central America and where more than 500,000 migrants have crossed this year, has become one of the busiest routes on the continent and at the same time most dangerous.