Around 150 clergy took part in the Rome protest, carrying the names of hundreds of children killed in Israeli airstrikes
Around 150 Catholic priests, bishops, friars, and nuns have marched to the Vatican as part of a procession through Rome demanding an end to what they describe as Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza.
The group stopped near St. Peter’s Square before continuing to the Palestinian and Lebanese embassies and ending outside the headquarters of Italian arms manufacturer Leonardo.
Participants carried olive branches and posters depicting the Madonna holding an emaciated child with the words “Christ Died in Gaza.” They also carried a large white banner bearing the names of hundreds of Palestinian and Lebanese children killed in Israeli airstrikes.
Outside Leonardo, which has supplied weapons and military equipment to Israel, Italian Archbishop Franco Moscone called for international arrest warrants targeting arms-industry executives. Moscone has previously compared Israel’s conduct in Gaza to Nazi methods and urged European countries to consider withdrawing recognition of Israel.
Tuesday’s event was organized by Priests Against Genocide, an international Catholic network established last year. The group said clergy from eight countries took part, including South Africa, England, Ireland, Germany, the US, and Spain.
The network has taken a more categorical position than the Holy See. The late Pope Francis called for an investigation into whether Israel’s actions in Gaza met the legal definition of genocide, while his successor, Leo XIV, has said the Vatican is not prepared to make such a determination.
A UN commission of inquiry concluded in September 2025 that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, citing killings, serious bodily and mental harm, deliberately destructive living conditions, and measures intended to prevent births. A separate case brought by South Africa remains before the International Court of Justice, which has yet to issue a final judgment.
Israel strongly rejects the genocide allegation, saying it targets militants and seeks to minimize civilian casualties while accusing Hamas of operating in densely populated areas.
Israel launched its offensive in Gaza following the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians. Gaza health authorities say more than 73,000 Palestinians have since been killed, nearly half of them women and children.
