Pop star Madonna is calling on her distant cousin, Pope Leo XIV, to travel to Gaza to help address the humanitarian crisis.
In a message posted to X on August 11, Madonna asked the pontiff to “bring your light to the children before it’s too late,” adding, “You are the only one of us who cannot be denied entry. We need the humanitarian gates to be fully opened to save these innocent children.”
She linked her appeal to her son Rocco’s birthday, saying, “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.”
Politics Cannot affect Change.
Only consciousness Can. Therefore I am Reaching out to a Man of God.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… pic.twitter.com/y2B3BsXAMt— Madonna (@Madonna) August 11, 2025
The 66-year-old singer posted a photo of a typed note to the pope alongside a caption declaring she was “not pointing fingers, placing blame or taking sides.”
She also prayed for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas since the October 7, 2023, attack that killed approximately 1,200 people in Israel, in a slightly longer version of the same message she posted to Instagram.
The Vatican has not commented on her appeal.
Pope Leo, the first American-born pope, has repeatedly spoken about Gaza since the start of his papacy in May.
In July, following an Israeli strike on Gaza City’s Holy Family Catholic Church that killed three people, he called for “an immediate ceasefire … we must ensure there are no more victims.” Pope Leo phoned Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa during the patriarch’s visit to the parish to express his “closeness, care, prayer, support, and desire to do everything possible to achieve not only a ceasefire but also an end to this tragedy,” according to Vatican News.
Church leaders in Jerusalem have condemned the attack on the Catholic parish, calling it a violation of international law and “an affront to human dignity” in a joint statement.
The Latin Patriarchs said they are working to relieve the “starving masses throughout the Gaza Strip.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied that there is widespread starvation in Gaza: “There is no policy of starvation in Gaza, and there is no starvation in Gaza. We enable humanitarian aid throughout the duration of the war to enter Gaza – otherwise, there would be no Gazans,” the Associated Press reported.
Allegations of genocide have defined this conflict for years and have been directed at a variety of parties. “‘If we had wanted to commit genocide, it would have taken exactly one afternoon,” Netanyahu reportedly said on August 12.
Madonna’s appeal to Pope Leo also drew attention because of his reported family tie to Madonna.
In June, research published by The New York Times found the pope, born Robert Francis Prevost, and Madonna share a French Canadian ancestor, making them ninth cousins. The outlet also noted Pope Leo’s connections to other public figures, including Hillary Clinton, Justin Trudeau, Angelina Jolie, and Justin Bieber.
Madonna, who was raised Catholic but has had a contentious relationship with the Church, has used her performances and public appearances to speak out about the suffering in Gaza. In 2023, she told fans at London’s O2 Arena it “breaks my heart to see children suffering” and urged people to bring “light and love” into the world to help bring peace to the Middle East.
Her latest plea frames that mission as personal and urgent: “There is no more time. Please say you will go.”