Irish Dominican nuns protest ‘indiscriminate destruction of innocent lives in Gaza’
The President of Ireland Michael D Higgins has quoted Pope Leo XIV in his condemnation of the recent killing of civilians in Gaza. The Irish President in a statement this week said: “In his weekend statement on these issues, Pope Leo XIV has used his strongest language to condemn this assault on civilian life and has asked the international community to respond with the urgency these issues demand.”
Pope Leo XIV had expressed his “deep sorrow” over the recent Israeli attack on the only Catholic parish in Gaza, and called for “an immediate halt to the barbarity” in the Strip. Pope Leo then stressed that the attack “is just one of the continuous military attacks against the civilian population and places of worship in Gaza”.
President Higgins added: “As the directly-elected Head of State of a Member of the European Union, I repeat my many appeals to those who have not broken silence on these issues to join with Ireland and others in seeking an immediate delivery of aid and a strengthening of diplomatic measures to achieve this, and emergency action by the United Nations to end this preventable loss of life.”
Describing the scenes from Gaza the President said “we have seen images of several mothers grieving alongside the bodies of their babies who have died of malnourishment.
We have seen an image of a mother being prevented from seeing the body of her 9 year old son and his 10 year old sister killed at the top of the queue as they queued for water.”
Meanwhile Irish Dominican Sisters were among an estimated 10,000 people who filled the streets of Dublin in support of Palestine at the weekend and who also took part in a different pro-Palestine protest on June 13.
During their recent General Chapter, the Dominican Sisters Of Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Catherine of Siena, Cabra, released a statement denouncing the “indiscriminate destruction of innocent lives in Gaza as the genocide suffered by the Palestinian people continues.”
“We join with many other voices demanding an end to violence, the return of hostages and for a just and lasting peace,” they said. The Sisters also called for the “urgent” protection of the people in the West Bank and assurance of food and medical care delivery, “especially children.”
For the Dominicans, witnessing the horror happening there, “we cannot be complicit by our silence or passivity.” They “call, in accordance with International Humanitarian Law for the opening of border crossings to allow the entry of humanitarian aid and for the suspension of collective punishments such as starvation or forced displacement, as weapons of war.”
Remembering the words of “the Jew Jesus”, that “they may have life and life in abundance”, the Sisters echoed Pope Leo XIV, “weapons do not stifle the cry of humanity that cries out and invokes peace. It is a cry that demands responsibility and reason. And must not be stifled by the clamour of arms or by rhetorical words that incite conflict.”
