GRUNGECAKE

Tag: Pope

  • Madonna urges the Pope to visit Gaza “before it’s too late”

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    On August 11, 2025, coinciding with her son Rocco’s twenty-fifth birthday, Pop icon Madonna delivered a heartfelt plea on social media:

    “Most Holy Father. Please go to Gaza and bring your light to the children before it’s too late.” Drawing on her identity as a mother, she wrote, “As a mother, I cannot bear to watch their suffering. The children of the world belong to everyone. You are the only one of us who cannot be denied entry.”

    Madonna urged humanitarian corridors to be fully opened, warning that time is swiftly running out to save innocent children from starvation.

    “We need the humanitarian gates to be fully opened to save these innocent children. There is no more time. Please say you will go. Love, Madonna”, she implored.

    She emphasised neutrality in the conflict, stating she was not assigning blame or taking sides.

    “Everyone is suffering. Including the mothers of the hostages”, she added.

    “I pray that they are released as well.”

    Her message aligns closely with Pope Leo XIV’s recent wartime appeals. Since beginning his papacy in May, he has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, an end to the “barbarity of this war”, and unwavering respect for humanitarian law.

    The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to escalate: UNICEF warns that more than 18,000 children have died since October 2023, with as many as twenty-eight children per day succumbing to the conflict and deprivation.

    Madonna’s plea is a powerful appeal to faith and conscience—calling upon one of the few global figures capable of gaining access to Gaza’s embattled children, in a moment when their survival hangs by a thread.

  • Pope Francis’ health in critical condition

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    Pope Francis, the eighty-eight-year-old leader of the Roman Catholic Church, is currently in critical condition following a severe asthmatic respiratory crisis. The Vatican reported that this episode necessitated the administration of high-flow oxygen and blood transfusions due to anemia and low platelet counts. Despite being alert and spending time in an armchair, his prognosis remains guarded.

    The Pope was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on February 14 after experiencing breathing difficulties. He was subsequently diagnosed with double pneumonia and a complex lung infection. Doctors have expressed concerns about the potential for sepsis, a serious bloodstream infection, though no evidence of it has been found thus far. Given his age and medical history, including the removal of part of his right lung in his youth, Pope Francis is particularly vulnerable to respiratory ailments.

    In light of his hospitalisation, the Vatican has announced that Pope Francis will not lead Sunday prayers for the second consecutive week. This marks a significant deviation from his usual duties, as he has rarely missed public appearances due to health issues in the past. The global community has responded with an outpouring of support and prayers for the Pope’s recovery. Messages have come from various religious and political leaders, as well as from the faithful worldwide. The Vatican continues to provide updates on his condition as the situation develops.