Overview
- The Holy See said the talks recognized an urgent need to assist civilians in Gaza and to end the conflict by pursuing a two-state solution.
- It was the first in-person meeting between Pope Leo XIV and Mahmoud Abbas after a July phone call, and the Vatican described the roughly hour-long encounter as cordial.
- The visit marked the 10th anniversary of the 2015 Comprehensive Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Palestine, which formalized the Vatican’s recognition of Palestinian statehood.
- The audience occurred about a month after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect in Gaza, as the humanitarian crisis continues.
- Abbas paid tribute at Pope Francis’ tomb in Rome the day before, while reporting notes Pope Leo has voiced solidarity with Gaza yet avoided labeling Israel’s actions as genocide.