ROME — Around 150 Catholic priests, friars, a bishop, and nuns from across the globe marched to the Vatican on Tuesday to pray before St. Peter’s Basilica, demanding an end to what they described as the “genocide” in Gaza.
The demonstrators carried a banner along the main boulevard leading to the Vatican, inscribed with the names of 300 children who lost their lives during Israel’s military operations in Gaza and southern Lebanon. The procession remained outside Vatican territory and was accompanied by an Italian police escort.
Organizers stated that the “Priests Against Genocide” movement was established in August 2025 and now encompasses more than 2,500 priests and bishops from five continents. Franco Moscone, the bishop of Manfredonia, Italy, was among the marchers on Tuesday.
Following their prayer vigil near the Vatican, the protesters proceeded to the Palestinian and Lebanese embassies, before heading to the Rome headquarters of Italian defense contractor Leonardo SpA. This demonstration drew a significantly larger crowd than the group’s march from the previous year.
Numerous experts, including those appointed by a United Nations body, have concluded that Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip constitutes genocide, and Pope Francis previously called for an investigation into the matter. Israel vehemently denies the accusation, asserting that it endeavors to protect civilians and attributes the fatalities to Hamas due to the militants’ operations in densely populated areas.
Israel initiated its military campaign in Gaza following Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, predominantly civilians. According to Gaza health officials, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed. While they do not provide a breakdown of casualties between civilians and combatants, they report that women and children account for nearly half of the fatalities.