Madonna has made an urgent plea for Pope Leo XIV to visit Gaza and save innocent children because he is the “only one of us who cannot be denied entry.”
“Most Holy Father. Please go to Gaza and bring your light to the children before it’s too late,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “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.”
The Queen of Pop said she was calling upon the Pope because “politics cannot affect change,” but “consciousness can.” She added that she was making the request on her son Rocco’s birthday because “the best gift I can give to him… is to ask everyone to do what they can to help save the innocent children caught in the crossfire in Gaza.”
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“I am not pointing fingers, placing blame or taking sides. Everyone is suffering,” she continued. “Including the mothers of the hostages. I pray that they are released as well,” she continued. “I am merely trying to do what I can to keep these children from dying of starvation. ♥️”
To close out her post, Madonna shared a list of suggested organizations to which folks can donate, including World Central Kitchen, Women Wage Peace, and Women of the Sun.
Since his inauguration in May, Pope Leo has been critical of Israel’s attacks on Gaza and expressed concern for Palestinian civilians.
“I am following with great concern the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where the civilian population is suffering from severe hunger and remains exposed to violence and death,” he said in July, while renewing a call for a ceasefire.
UNICEF reported last week that more than 18,000 children have been killed in Gaza since the most recent conflict began in October 2023. This is equivalent to an average of 28 children killed per day.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus responded to Madonna’s post by expressing gratitude for her “compassion, solidarity and commitment to care for everyone caught in the Gaza crisis, especially the children.”
Pope Leo XIV hasn’t publicly responded to Madonna’s plea as of yet, but perhaps their relationship as distant cousins could give her request special consideration.
