Priests and nuns march to Vatican to demand end to ‘genocide’ in Gaza

About 150 Catholic priests, friars, nuns, and one bishop marched to St. Peter’s Basilica on Tuesday to demand an end to what they described as genocide in Gaza. The group, which included the bishop of Manfredonia, Italy, Franco Moscone, prayed in front of the basilica under an Italian police escort but did not enter Vatican territory.

Participants carried a banner listing the names of 309 children killed by the Israeli army in Gaza and southern Lebanon. Following their prayer, the protesters moved to the Palestinian and Lebanese embassies and the Rome headquarters of the Italian defense company Leonardo SpA.

Organizers stated the march saw a larger turnout than the group's previous demonstration last year. The Priests Against Genocide network, formed in August 2025, now includes more than 2,500 priests and bishops from five continents.