Pope Francis’s support for Gaza omitted in US obituaries: Mondoweiss

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Mondoweiss
22 Apr 2025 12:06
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Major US newspapers are omitting Pope Francis’s strong support for Gaza as media censorship of Palestine and Gaza in mainstream media continues.

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Pope Francis prays on his way to a Mass in Manger Square next to the Church of the Nativity, believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank city of Beit Lahm, May 25, 2014. (AP)

In the extensive obituaries for Pope Francis published by the New York Times and the Washington Post, a notable omission was Pope Francis’s vocal support for the Palestinian people and his deep concern for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, a Mondoweiss analysis highlighted.

In what would be his final public statement, delivered on Easter Sunday just hours before his death, Pope Francis called for a ceasefire in Gaza and condemned the “deplorable humanitarian situation” unfolding there.

In a statement read aloud by an aide, the Pope’s message described the situation in Gaza as “dramatic and deplorable.” He urged all warring parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire.

“I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages, and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace,” the statement read.

The pope called Gaza's Family Church daily

Absent from the obituaries was the detail that Pope Francis personally telephoned Gaza’s Holy Family Church almost every evening since the Israeli onslaught began in October 2023, including the night before Easter.

Rev. Gabriel Romanelli, the church’s pastor, recalled, “He said he was praying for us, he blessed us, and he thanked us for our prayers.”

Other church members noted that the Pope “would make sure to speak not only to the priest but to everyone else in the room.”

Longstanding support for the Palestinian people

Pope Francis’s concern for Palestinians extended far beyond the war.

Rev. Munther Isaac, a Palestinian Christian theologian and Lutheran pastor, highlighted a moment from 2014, saying “I think no Palestinian will ever forget when Pope Francis, in 2014, stopped his car, went down, stepped down and prayed at the separation wall separating Jerusalem from Bethlehem — a moment that touched all of us and continued to speak to us for years.”

Despite these powerful gestures, major US newspapers failed to include them in their coverage of the pontiff’s life. Media insiders suggest that such omissions are part of an unspoken editorial caution regarding the Palestinian cause.

A journalist with experience at the New York Times commented, “No one has to actually tell you to skirt the subject. You just understand that you have to be very careful,” according to Mondoweiss.

Another described the newsroom environment as one where “95 percent of the self-censorship about Israel/Palestine is unspoken.”

'Genocide', 'ethnic cleansing' barred from NYT

Major news media outlets, such as the NYT, were exposed throughout the Israeli war on Gaza for their censorship and downplaying of "Israel's" actions against the Palestinian people.

One report by The Intercept detailed the contents of an internal memo issued by The New York Times instructing journalists covering "Israel's" war on Gaza to restrict the use of terms like "genocide" and "ethnic cleansing" and to avoid using "occupied territory" when describing Palestinian land.

The memo also advised against using the word "Palestine" except in rare cases and suggests avoiding the term "refugee camps" for areas in Gaza settled by forcefully displaced Palestinians.

While the memo claimed to be contributing to journalistic objectivity, some staffers said they view it as showing deference to Zionist narratives.

"I think it’s the kind of thing that looks professional and logical if you have no knowledge of the historical context of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," said a Times newsroom source who requested anonymity. "But if you do know, it will be clear how apologetic it is to Israel."