Leading French prelate deplores Israeli attacks on Lebanon
April 11, 2026
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CWN Editor's Note: The president of the Conference of Bishops of France deplored Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
“On this day of mourning for the Lebanese people, I would like to express my sadness, indignation and full solidarity,” Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline of Marseille said on April 9, the day after Israel’s Operation Eternal Darkness left at least 357 dead.
“I condemn in the strongest terms this intolerable operation, perversely called ‘eternal darkness,’ as well as the cynicism of its unfolding, at the very moment when a ceasefire between the belligerents was coming into effect,” Cardinal Avelline added. “The spiral of violence must stop and international law must be respected. History teaches us that the security of one people cannot be obtained by maintaining hatred of the other.”
The prelate concluded by inviting “all Catholics in France to respond to Pope Leo XIV’s invitation to gather to pray for peace on Saturday, April 11, 2026 at 6:00” and by encouraging donations to the aid organization Œuvre d’Orient.
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