Popstar Madonna called on Pope Leo XIV to visit the Palestinian children in Gaza “before it’s too late.”
Madonna’s request to the head of the Catholic Church comes almost two years after the conflict broke out between Israel and Hamas. While the initial attack from Hamas began in Southern Israel, the majority of the fighting has taken place in Gaza.
“Most Holy Father, Please go to Gaza and bring your light to the children before it’s too late,” Madonna wrote on Instagram Monday. “As a mother, I cannot bear to watch their suffering. The children of the world belong to everyone. You are the only one of us who cannot be denied entry.”
Madonna was referring to how Israel has closed off Gaza to humanitarian efforts. Two weeks ago, the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced a pause on fighting in civilian centers and in humanitarian corridors to allow for Palestinians to receive much-needed food supplies. Israel also began allowing airdrops of food around the same time.
Until this announcement, the U.S.-Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was the sole food provider to the region. The foundation began on May 26 and aims to replace the United Nations. In its first five weeks of operation, the GHF claimed to deliver 52 million meals.
The request from Madonna came on her son Rocco Ritchie’s birthday.
“Politics Cannot affect Change. Only consciousness Can. Therefore I am Reaching out to a Man of God,” Madonna wrote.
Gaza boasts a Catholic population and has a single church that was hit by Israeli strikes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Israel “deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza’s Holy Family Church.”
“I feel 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,” Madonna wrote.
“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. I am merely trying to do what I can to keep these children from dying of starvation.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Catholic Church and Madonna for comment. It remains to be seen whether Madonna received a response from the Holy See.
Netanyahu claims there is no starvation in Gaza. The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry reported deaths from starvation and stampedes at aid centers.
President Donald Trump disagreed with Netanyahu and claimed he wanted to resolve the hunger problem.
“I’m looking for getting people fed. Right now, to me, that’s the No. 1 position because you have a lot of starving people,” Trump said Monday. “We can save a lot of people. That’s real starvation. I see it, and you can’t fake that.”
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Madonna has previously made public pleas to the Pope, as she is Catholic herself. Since becoming famous, Madonna was excommunicated from the church three times and called on then-Pope Francis to reinstate her.
Only the blessing of a Catholic bishop would be needed to reverse Madonna’s excommunication. Popes have been known to reinstate excommunicated members in extreme cases.