Pope Francis, Returning from Flu, Declares Airstrikes on Lebanon ‘Unacceptable’

By Joshua McElwee

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis described the recent Israeli strikes on Lebanon as a "terrible escalation" of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East during his weekly general audience on Wednesday. This event took place just two days after the pontiff had to cancel meetings due to mild flu.

He condemned the attacks, which Israel claims are aimed at targets linked to the Iran-supported Hezbollah group, calling them "unacceptable," and urged the international community to take all necessary measures to stop the violence.

While the pope did not explicitly name Israel, he expressed his sorrow over reports from Lebanon indicating that the bombardments had caused extensive destruction and numerous casualties.

At 87 years old, Francis, who has faced health issues in recent years, appeared relatively well during the audience, although he did cough lightly several times during his remarks.

The Vatican has not shared further information about the pope’s health following the announcement on Monday that he had canceled his meetings for that day as a precaution ahead of a scheduled trip to Luxembourg and Belgium, starting on Thursday.

During the audience, the pope reaffirmed his intention to proceed with the visit and requested prayers for its success. This trip will mark his 46th foreign visit as pope and comes less than two weeks after he concluded a challenging 12-day journey across Southeast Asia and Oceania.

Francis made his comments regarding Lebanon in spontaneous remarks towards the end of his hour-long audience. Since becoming pope in March 2013, he has increasingly relied on a wheelchair due to knee and back pain. Earlier this year, he had to cancel several engagements due to various health concerns.

On his recent trip from September 2 to 13, which took him to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore, the pope managed a busy itinerary with over 40 events, covering approximately 33,000 kilometers (20,500 miles).

He began Wednesday’s general audience by touring the crowd in an open-air popemobile, waving at attendees as a band played orchestral arrangements of popular songs. In his messages to the pilgrims, the pope highlighted the dangers posed by temptation, including issues like online pornography, which is prohibited by Catholic teaching.