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Madonna is begging Pope Leo XIV to do more amidst the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The first American-born pope has used his position as the head of the Catholic Church to speak out against the slaughter and man-made famine in Gaza.
But the legendary singer and outspoken humanitarian hopes that he can do more.
She is urging Pope Leo to visit Gaza in person — in the hopes that his presence could bring a pause to the killing and allow humanitarian aid to reach starving children.

A desperate Madonna is calling on Pope Leo XIV to visit Gaza in person
“Please go to Gaza,” Madonna began her plea on Instagram on Monday, August 11. “And bring your light to the children before it’s too late.”
She got personal, expressing:
“As a mother, I cannot bear to watch their suffering.”
The singer noted: “The children of the world belong to everyone. You are the only one of us who cannot be denied entry.”
“We need the humanitarian gates to be fully open to save these innocent children,” Madonna then emphasized.
Notably, the IDF has been cutting off humanitarian aid, violently “arresting” people in international waters who try to bring food and medicine to the population that they are currently exterminating in Gaza.
(In international waters, these are arguably abductions, not arrests)
“There is no more time,” Madonna urged. “Please say you will go.”

She also penned a caption
“Politics Cannot affect Change,” Madonna began her Instagram caption alongside her plea. “Only consciousness Can. Therefore I am Reaching out to a Man of God.”
She wrote: “Today is my Son Rocco’s birthday. 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.”
The singer added: “I am not pointing fingers, placing blame or taking sides.”

“Everyone is suffering. Including the mothers of the hostages,” she continued.
“I pray that they are released as well.”
Madonna explained: “I am merely trying to do what I can to keep these children from dying of starvation.”
With a few sinister exceptions, everyone wants to do that. But with people in political power across the globe unwilling to halt the IDF in its tracks, many are at a loss as to what to do.

Could the pope visit Gaza whenever he chooses? It may not be up to him
It is unclear what power, if any, Pope Leo could have to stem the slaughter — both targeted and indiscriminate — of the Palestinian people. He has already spoken repeatedly about this humanitarian crisis.
Contrary to what Madonna seems to believe, a pope requires either a visa or (more often) a special exemption from a host country for a visit.
Given how diligent the IDF has been about assassinating journalists covering the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, it is unclear why Netanyahu’s government would do anything of the sort for a pope opposed to their various war crimes.