The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, has called for peaceful solutions to the events unfolding in Iran, where he sees the population’s yearning for “peace, justice, and dignity”. Source: EWTN News.
On December 28, protests erupted in the capital, Tehran, as Iranians demonstrated against rising prices of basic goods such as chicken and cooking oil, due to inflation. In the following days, the demonstrations spread to more than 180 cities.
These protests are considered the most severe that the Islamic Republic has faced since it came to power in 1979. However, authorities have responded with a crackdown that has resulted in more than 2500 deaths, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
Speaking to Vatican News, Cardinal Pizzaballa said he sees in Iran “the yearning of the entire Iranian population, but also of us, for peace, justice, and dignity; and however much the authorities, politics, may want to draw a line, there is always a red line that cannot be crossed”, which is the people’s demand for a decent life.
“Where this is lacking, sooner or later this need explodes; that is what we are seeing there. I hope that peaceful solutions will be found, that things will not degenerate into violence, but surely no one can ignore the yearning for life and justice that is an integral part of every person’s conscience,” he said on Tuesday.
During the interview, the Italian cardinal also addressed the situation in Gaza, noting that it “hasn’t changed much” because, although there is no longer a war, “there are still targeted bombings”.
“There is more food than before, but there is a shortage of medicine. People are dying not only from the cold but also from lack of medical care,” he said. “Everything is still very uncertain. There is much to be done, but it is clear that the situation remains one of total devastation.”
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Cardinal Pizzaballa: There is a longing for justice and human dignity in Iran (By Eduardo Berdejo, EWTN News)
