Israeli Foreign Ministry's 'condolence message' deleted shortly after posting
The Israeli Foreign Ministry published a condolence message regarding the death of Vatican Head of State Pope Francis. The ministry later deleted the condolence message it had shared on social media shortly after.
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According to a report by the Yediot Ahronot newspaper, the Foreign Ministry's official accounts posted a message regarding the death of Pope Francis, stating, "Pope Francis, rest in peace, may his memory be a blessing."
POST DELETED
It was stated that the Israeli Foreign Ministry, which later deleted this post, also sent instructions to its diplomatic representatives around the world to delete the message. It was noted that some Israeli ambassadors criticized this decision in the ministry's internal communication groups, arguing that it would "damage Israel's image within the Christian world and the Catholic community."
A high-level official from the Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that "the condolence post was made by mistake, that they were responding to statements the Pope had made while he was alive, that they would not do this after his death, and that they would respect the feelings of his followers."
On the other hand, it was reported that some employees at the Foreign Ministry criticized this decision, using the expression, "We are not only failing to offer condolences, but we are also deleting it; this looks very bad."
It was assessed that Pope Francis's critical statements regarding Israel's occupation policies in Palestinian territories and its attacks on Gaza were influential in this step taken by the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of Catholics, had called for a ceasefire in Gaza in his final message before his death. During the tenure of Pope Francis, the Vatican officially recognized the State of Palestine in 2015.
HE HAD BEEN STRUGGLING WITH HEALTH ISSUES
Pope Francis, who was admitted to Gemelli Hospital in Rome on February 14 due to severe bronchitis and treated for 38 days after being diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia, was discharged on March 23.
It was stated that the Pope needed to remain in a 2-month convalescence period after being discharged. Prof. Sergio Alfieri, one of Pope Francis's doctors, stated in an interview with the Corriere della Sera newspaper on March 25 that the Pope had narrowly escaped death twice while he was in the hospital.
Cardinal Joseph Farrell announced in a statement on the morning of April 21 that Pope Francis had passed away at 07:35 local time. The Vatican reported last night that the cause of Pope Francis's death was a stroke, falling into a coma, and irreversible heart failure.