VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis on Sunday called for free access to the holy sites in Jerusalem as he delivered his annual Easter address amid simmering violence between Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy City.

“May there be peace for the Middle East, racked by years of conflict and division. On this glorious day, let us ask for peace upon Jerusalem and peace upon all those who love her, Christians, Jews and Muslims alike. May Israelis, Palestinians and all who dwell in the Holy City, together with the pilgrims, experience the beauty of peace, dwell in fraternity and enjoy free access to the Holy Places in mutual respect for the rights of each,” he said.

The latest tensions in Jerusalem come as all three Abrahamic faiths mark major festivals: Jewish Passover, Christian Easter and the Muslim fasting month of Ramazan. Weeks of mounting tensions saw two deadly attacks by Palestinians in or near the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv in late March and early April, alongside mass arrests by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.

Pope Francis also called for peace in Ukraine. “May there be peace for war-torn Ukraine, so sorely tried by the violence and destruction of the cruel and senseless war into which it was dragged,” the pontiff said.

“Our eyes, too, are incredulous on this Easter of war,” he said. “May the leaders of nations hear people’s plea for peace. Let there be a decision for peace. May there be an end to the flexing of muscles while people are suffering.

“Our hearts, too, have been filled with fear and anguish, as so many of our brothers and sisters have had to lock themselves away in order to be safe from bombing,” Pope Francis said.

The pontiff pointed that two years of the coronavirus pandemic had taken “a heavy toll”. “It was time to come out of the tunnel together, hand in hand, pooling our strengths and resources.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2022