Pop star Madonna has issued a heartfelt public appeal to Pope Leo XIV, urging him to travel to Gaza and bring what she described as his “light to the children before it’s too late”.
In a message shared on Instagram, the singer said the pontiff was “the only one of us who cannot be denied entry” and expressed her anguish over the suffering of children in the war-torn territory. “As a mother, I cannot bear to watch their suffering,” she wrote. “The children of the world belong to everyone.”
Her comments come as the UK, European Union, Australia, Canada and Japan jointly warned that “famine is unfolding in front of our eyes” in Gaza, calling for immediate steps to “reverse starvation”.
The United Nations has said the amount of aid entering Gaza remains far below what is required to meet basic humanitarian needs. UN officials have also reported continued delays and obstacles in collecting supplies from Israeli-controlled border areas.
Madonna, who turned her attention to the crisis during recent concerts, stressed that her appeal was not about taking sides in the conflict. “I am not pointing fingers, placing blame or taking sides. Everyone is suffering. Including the mothers of the hostages. I pray that they are released as well,” she said.
She also urged that “humanitarian gates” be “fully opened” in order to save the lives of “innocent children” and emphasised the urgency of the situation. “There is no more time. Please say you will go,” she wrote in her message to the Pope.
In her post, the singer linked the appeal to her own family, noting that it was her son Rocco’s birthday and saying: “The best gift I can give to him as a mother is to ask everyone to do what they can to help save the innocent children caught in the crossfire in Gaza.”
Pope Leo, who became the first US head of the Catholic Church earlier this year, has previously called for a ceasefire in Gaza and urged the international community to protect civilians, end collective punishment, and ensure the free flow of humanitarian aid.
