At a June 24 meeting with leaders of the Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches (ROACO), Pope Francis said that the faithful “cannot remain indifferent when we think of the deserted streets of Jerusalem.” He acknowledged that Covid lockdown rules have hurt the Christian communities of the region, because of a sharp decline in the number of pilgrims and in collections for the Holy Land.

The Pope also expressed his concern about conflicts in Eritrea and Lebanon, and particularly the “scandal” of continuing warfare and devastation in Syria, which apparently has not “touched the hearts of leaders in a position to affect the destiny of peoples.”