“We have shared the concerns that currently afflict our countries and the world. In particular, we have taken to heart the suffering of people at war. We have listened to the testimony of our Ukrainian permanent observer brothers, and we follow with deep concern and sorrow the situation in the Gaza Strip”. Mgr Mariano Crociata, President of COMECE, said this in a note summing up the work of the bishops delegated by the Episcopal Conferences of the European Union who held their autumn plenary assembly in Brussels these days. “The suffering of the Palestinian people breaks our hearts. The images of civilian victims, starving children, families forced to leave their homes, and the destruction of cities affects us deeply and shakes our very sense of humanity”, Mgr Crociata said. “We join the many appeals of Pope Leo XIV and urge the international community, starting with the European Union, to commit itself by every means possible to a swift resolution which includes the liberation of all hostages, full access to necessary humanitarian aid, and the achievement of a just and lasting peace”. “With our Churches”, the note from COMECE reads, “we make ourselves a living and active part of the prayer for peace, expressing our constant closeness and solidarity with the Church and with all suffering people, especially in Gaza and the Holy Land, in Ukraine, and in Sudan”.