Palestinian, Israeli, and Ukrainian mothers unite before Pope Leo XIV for peace and family protection amid global conflicts.
Newsroom (25/03/2026 Gaudium Press) In a powerful reflection of faith and reconciliation, Pope Leo XIV—on the solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord and just days before Holy Week—welcomed Palestinian and Israeli women from the movement Mothers Call, who presented a joint declaration for peace in the Middle East. Their presence in St. Peter’s Square transformed the weekly general audience into a living tableau of shared motherhood and hope across divided lands.
Catherine Shomali, a Palestinian Christian, and Hyam Tannous, an Israeli Christian, stood side by side beneath the bright spring sky, voicing their emotion after meeting the Pope. “We live Mary’s free ‘yes’ as an example to follow amid everyday difficulties—defending all families of the Middle East and building a future of peace,” they said, expressing the heart of their witness.
Barefoot in St. Peter’s Square
The movement Mothers Call has become a global symbol of women standing together for peace, organizing barefoot marches in more than thirty countries. On March 24, its latest “Barefoot Walk” wound through the streets of Rome. The following morning, in St. Peter’s Square, the mothers stopped to bring their shared plea to Pope Leo XIV, voicing their desire for “an immediate end to all violence and the beginning of negotiations in which Palestinian and Israeli mothers have a decisive role.”
Reem Al-Hajajreh and Yael Admi—founders of Women of the Sun and Women Wage Peace, both nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize—delivered to the Pope the declaration that guides their joint journey. The text calls on world leaders “to show courage and foresight to bring about this historic change and restore hope to our peoples.” Barefoot yet steadfast, they embodied the spiritual courage that turns pain into purpose.
Ukrainian Mothers Seek Comfort
Close beside them stood more than fifty Ukrainian mothers who had come to receive Pope Leo XIV’s blessing and comfort. Some had lost children in war; others waited for news of sons held captive or fighting on the frontlines. Wrapped in their national banners, they carried the grief and endurance of a nation. Several had arrived from Lviv, where only a day before, Russian drone attacks damaged a Bernardine monastery—an emblem of suffering that mirrored their own.
From Indonesia to Capua: Gifts and Traditions
That morning, another delegation approached the Pope: members of the Federation of Catholic Journalists of Indonesia, accompanied by Bishop Agustinus Tri Budi Utomo of Surabaya. They offered a statue of Joseph of Arimathea to Pope Leo XIV, symbolizing global fellowship in faith and communication.
Meanwhile, from Vitulazio in the Archdiocese of Capua, the wooden statue of the Madonna dell’Agnena returned to the Vatican for the centenary of its coronation in 1926. The statue was blessed by the Pope at the end of the audience, in the presence of Archbishop Pietro Lagnese, parish priest Don Valerio Lucca, and nearly 500 parishioners. Their pilgrimage marked a century of devotion and gratitude.
The Heart of Hope: Youth, Music, and Sport
Also at the audience were young people from Rovereto’s Dal Barba cooperative—youths with autism, intellectual disabilities, and Down syndrome—who presented Pope Leo XIV with a painting expressing their hopes for rebuilding their “After Us” center, destroyed by an act of arson. Their gift radiated quiet courage and faith in the face of loss.
The morning was filled with music from two Italian school orchestras. Students from San Giovanni Gemini’s ensemble, named after Blessed Judge Rosario Livatino, performed Fratello Sole, Sorella Luna, joined by young musicians from Sora who played the Pontifical Hymn and Simone Cristicchi’s Lo chiederemo agli alberi. Their songs lifted hearts before the Pope’s arrival.
Finally, the square gleamed with blue caps reading “Volare alto” (Fly High), worn by over a hundred members of Benacus Volley Bardolino. Founded in 1986, the team presented Pope Leo XIV with a commemorative plaque, honoring forty years of friendship, teamwork, and faith-driven ambition.
A Morning of Collective Grace
What began as an ordinary papal audience evolved into a profound moment of human connection. Palestinian and Israeli mothers stood barefoot for peace, Ukrainian women sought solace in prayer, and believers from around the world joined in one message: faith, family, and the unyielding hope that peace—though fragile—is always possible.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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