5.13.25 Pope Leo XIV, Syria and sanctions, and the heartache when hostages didn’t survive

Summary

Podcast Summary: The World and Everything In It
Episode: May 13, 2025
Title: Pope Leo XIV, Syria and Sanctions, and the Heartache When Hostages Didn’t Survive

Released on May 13, 2025 by WORLD Radio

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1. Introduction: A New Pope Emerges

Timestamp: [07:15]

The episode opens with a significant development in the Catholic Church as Cardinal Robert Prevost is elected as the new Pope Leo XIV. The momentous event was celebrated globally, with jubilant gatherings in cities like Chicago and Lima, reflecting the diverse and widespread support for the new pontiff.

• Tom Neguyan captures the essence of the celebrations: “We all yelled, clapped, cried and tears of joy” ([00:27]).
• Jordan Baller, Director of Research at the First Liberty Institute, emphasizes the historical significance: “His choice for his papal name harkens back to a figure who brought Catholic teaching to bear on modern challenges” ([10:18]).

Key Points:

• Cardinal Robert Prevost, the first American pope, symbolizes a blend of traditional and progressive values within the church.
• Pope Leo XIV’s initial statements prioritize global peace, particularly in Ukraine and the Middle East, and underscore the importance of free speech.
• Experts suggest that while Pope Leo XIV shares Pope Francis’s concern for the poor, his approach may be more traditional, focusing on rebuilding and restoring the church's foundational values.

Notable Quote:

• Benjamin Eicher encapsulates Pope Leo XIV’s vision: “He has a Christ-like concern for the poor, but he doesn't conflate love with acceptance of whatever you find in the world” ([09:55]).

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2. U.S. and China Trade Agreement Sparks Market Rally

Timestamp: [01:02]

In economic news, the U.S. and China have reached a temporary truce to de-escalate their ongoing trade war, leading to a surge in stock markets. This agreement includes significant reductions in tariffs on both sides, signaling a hopeful step toward broader economic stabilization.

• Mark Hamrick, an economic analyst, describes the market reaction as a “relief rally” ([01:12]).
• Scott Besant, Treasury Secretary, outlines the agreement: “On a 90-day pause and substantially moved down the tariff levels” ([01:34]).

Key Points:

• China agrees to lower tariffs on U.S. goods from 125% to 10%, while the U.S. reduces its tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%.
• The deal also addresses concerns over Chinese fentanyl imports, adding an additional 20% tariff as a precaution.
• U.S. Trade Representative Jamison Greer insists that any future agreements must be fair to the United States, highlighting the ongoing issues with the U.S. trade deficit, which has ballooned to $1.2 trillion in goods ([02:13]).

Notable Quote:

• Jordan Baller discusses the economic implications: “Our country has the highest drug prices anywhere in the world by sometimes a factor of five, six, seven, eight times” ([02:38]).

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3. U.S. Sanctions on Syria: Reevaluating Strategies

Timestamp: [07:09]

The episode delves into the complex issue of U.S. sanctions on Syria, particularly in light of the recent ousting of President Bashar al-Assad. The conversation explores the effectiveness and humanitarian impact of these sanctions, with lawmakers debating whether to lift or maintain them.

• Leo Braceno provides a historical overview, noting that sanctions since 2011 have severely restricted Syria’s economy, making basic necessities scarce ([14:22]).
• Congressman Corey Mills expresses cautious optimism after visiting Damascus, citing the new regime's inclusive representation ([16:14]).

Key Points:

• The 2019 Caesar Act intensified sanctions, targeting anyone supporting Assad’s regime and severely limiting imports like propane.
• Despite Assad’s ousting, the new government, led by Ahmed Al Shara, faces significant economic challenges and lacks expertise to rebuild Syria’s infrastructure.
• Lawmakers like Mills propose suspending sanctions temporarily, allowing for potential rehabilitation while retaining the option to reinstate them if required ([18:30]).

Notable Quote:

• University of Oklahoma Professor Joshua Landis highlights the economic devastation: “They don't have much expertise. They're going to need foreign companies to come in and build. They don't have money. The government is completely bankrupt” ([15:44]).

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4. The Tragic Reality of Hostage Releases

Timestamp: [21:37]

One of the most heart-wrenching segments of the episode focuses on the emotional turmoil experienced by families of hostages released by Hamas. The narrative shares personal stories of loss and the enduring pain of losing loved ones even after their release.

• Caroline Levitt narrates the poignant story of Noam Safir, whose grandfather was killed during a hostage swap ([22:20]).
• Tom Neguyan shares his personal grief: “It was honestly heartbreaking and all the hope I had was shattered” ([24:04]).

Key Points:

• Hamas has released several hostages as part of temporary peace deals, with some returning alive and others, tragically, in coffins.
• Families often face incomplete information about the fate of their loved ones, exacerbating their grief and complicating the mourning process.
• The psychological impact on families is profound, with many struggling to find closure amidst ongoing uncertainty.

Notable Quote:

• Tom Neguyan expresses the depth of his loss: “I think about you all the time For I have heard your whispers I fear someday you lose your mind for going way too far I worry that you lose yourself” ([28:37]).

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5. Opinions: Christian Compassion in Contemporary Society

Timestamp: [29:28]

Joe Rigney, a World Opinions contributor, offers a thought-provoking analysis on the nature of Christian compassion in today’s polarized environment. He argues that true Christian compassion is steadfast and grounded in truth, contrasting it with what he perceives as the often misguided empathy promoted by progressive ideologies.

Key Points:

• Rigney draws parallels between Christ’s teachings and the current challenges faced by conservative Christians in demonstrating authentic compassion.
• He criticizes progressive approaches to compassion, suggesting they sometimes lead to harmful societal outcomes, such as family breakdowns and increased dependency on government aid.
• Rigney emphasizes the importance of biblical compassion that is not performative but genuinely seeks to uphold truth and moral integrity.

Notable Quote:

• Joe Rigney states: “True Christian compassion isn't soft on the truth. But while progressives preach empathy, their version of it often harms. Real love, he says, stands firm against the lies” ([29:46]).

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6. Closing Remarks and Preview of Future Episodes

Timestamp: [33:50]

The episode concludes with a preview of upcoming topics, including the ongoing budget negotiations in Washington and the multifaceted drug crises affecting America. Listeners are encouraged to stay tuned for in-depth analyses and continued coverage of these pressing issues.

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Final Thoughts

This episode of The World and Everything In It offers a comprehensive exploration of significant global and domestic issues, from the election of a new pope to the complexities of international sanctions and the human cost of hostage situations. Through in-depth reporting and heartfelt personal stories, WORLD Radio delivers a nuanced and empathetic perspective on the challenges facing our world today.

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For more detailed discussions and updates, subscribe to The World and Everything In It on Apple Podcasts.

Transcript

[Myrna Brown]

Good morning. Roman Catholics have a new pope in Leo xiv. Will he lead like the last pope?

[Benjamin Eicher]

It's clear that he has a Christ like concern for the poor, but he doesn't conflate love with acceptance of whatever you find in the world.

[Mary Reichardt]

Also rethinking sanctions on Syria and hostage families react to the release of their loved ones.

[Tom Neguyan]

We all yelled, clapped, cried and tears of joy.

[Mary Reichardt]

But healing after release is a long and difficult path for everyone and the harm of the progressive vision of empathy.

[Myrna Brown]

It's Tuesday, May 13th. This is the world and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Mary Reichardt]

And I'm Mary Reichert. Good morning.

[Myrna Brown]

Time now for the news. Here's Kent Covington.

[Kent Covington]

Stocks surged on Monday on news of an agreement between the US And China to de escalate the trade war. Economic analyst Mark Hamrick called the market gains a good example of a so called relief rally. And essentially we have the equivalent of a truce. And this is the first step toward what everyone hopes for, which is a total cessation of hostilities. But Treasury Secretary Scott Besant told reporters in Geneva we have reached an agreement.

[Scott Besant]

On a 90 day pause and substantially moved down the tariff levels.

[Kent Covington]

Beijing will lower its 125% tariffs on U.S. goods to 10% and the White House agreed to drop its 145% rate on Chinese goods to 30%. The way that works out is that the U.S. is actually dropping the rate to 10% but then adding another 20% over concerns about Chinese fentanyl flowing into to the U.S. the deal gives the two countries time to reach a larger agreement. U.S. trade Representative Jamison Greer, though, says any new deal going forward must be fair to the United States.

[Scott Besant]

The United States trade deficit has ballooned.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Over the past several years, ending up.

[Scott Besant]

At $1.2 trillion deficit in goods as of the end of last year.

[Kent Covington]

That, he said, was a 42% increase over where trade deficits stood at the end of President Trump's first term. Also on Monday, the president signed an executive order giving drug makers 30 days to bring down the costs of prescription drugs.

[Jordan Baller]

Today, Americans spend 70% more for prescription drugs than we spent in the year 2000. Think of that.

[Kent Covington]

The order directs the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate drug prices paid by Medicare to match the lowest prices paid by other countries with advanced economies, he said. In many other countries, the governments have capped the prices of prescription drugs while Americans paid a lot more for the same medications, effectively subsidizing lower costs elsewhere.

[Jordan Baller]

Our country has the highest drug prices anywhere in the world by sometimes a factor of five, six, seven, eight times.

[Kent Covington]

It's not yet clear which drugs will fall under the new order. President Trump says the United States is ready to accept a Boeing 7478 jumbo jet as a gift from the ruling family of Qatar, which could be converted to serve as an Air Force One jetliner for the president. But whether it would be a gift or a loan or some other form of transfer has yet to be determined. Some have raised legal and ethical concerns about such a transfer, but White House press Secretary Caroline Levitt says any donation.

[Caroline Levitt]

To this government is always done in full compliance with the law and we commit ourselves to the utmost transparency.

[Kent Covington]

Trump said the United States helps to protect Qatar militarily and he appreciates the token of goodwill and appreciation. And speaking of Air Force One, it touched down this morning in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as Trump begins a week long trip to the Middle East. He'll also visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The president will meet with leaders about regional security concerns, but he's also hoping to secure more large economic investments in the United States. And Trump said he could make an unplanned detour to Turkey if the leaders of Ukraine and Russia move ahead with proposed peace talks Thursday in Istanbul.

[Jordan Baller]

I was thinking about actually flying over there. There's a possibility of it, I guess, if I think things can happen. But we got to get it done. We got to save 5,000 lives a week right now.

[Kent Covington]

It is unclear if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will move ahead with the meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin, rejecting a stipulation to agree to a 30 day ceasefire before direct talks in Tel Aviv. Cheers, hugs and tears as American Israeli soldier Idan Alexander reunites with his family. Hamas released Alexander on Monday, more than a year and a half after the terror group captured him during the October 7 attacks. The head of the medical division of Israel's health ministry said Alexander will receive both medical and psychological treatment. She also called on Hamas to release all of the remaining hostages.

[Tom Neguyan]

As a physician and as a human being, I am deeply concerned about the condition of all those who remain in the captivity of Palestinians terrorist organizations and pray for the speedy return home.

[Kent Covington]

Israeli officials say Hamas could still be holding more than 50 hostages, but they fear that many of those captives are now dead. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi says India has only paused its military action against Pakistan and is prepared to strike again if provoked. World's Benjamin Eicker has more.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Modi says India will, in his words retaliate on its own terms if there is any future terrorist attack against the country. And he added his government will be monitoring every step of Pakistan. Those were his first public comments on the cross border tensions since the neighboring countries agreed to a U. S Brokered ceasefire over the weekend. The hostilities between the nuclear armed rivals flared up after a deadly attack on tourists in Kashmir. India blamed the Pakistani government and Indian forces responded with missile strikes last week targeting alleged terrorist camps in Pakistan. For WORLD I'm Benjamin Eicher.

[Kent Covington]

And I'm Kent Covington. Straight ahead, the Catholic Church has a new pope. What are his top priorities? Plus rethinking sanctions for Syria. This is the world and everything in it.

[Mary Reichardt]

It's Tuesday 13th May. Thank you for listening to World Radio. Good morning, I'm Mary Reichard.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. First up on the world and everything in it, a new pope with an old name. On Sunday, newly elected Pope Leo XIV greeted the crowds in St. Peter's Square, offering his first blessing and a call for peace around the world.

[Mary Reichardt]

The American born Cardinal Robert Prevost, chosen by the conclave last Thursday, now steps into one of the most influential roles in the world. But will he follow in the footsteps of Pope Francis or lead the church toward a more traditional course? Here is World Radio's executive producer Paul Butler.

[Tom Neguyan]

Rejoice, rejoice like me.

[Jordan Baller]

This weekend, Catholic churches around the world celebrate celebrated the selection of their newest pope, Abimus Papam. We have a new pope and he's from Chicago. At Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral, associate pastor Tom Neguyan declared the selection of the first American pope as an opportunity for the global church to renew its hope in Christ.

[Caroline Levitt]

That's beautiful, right?

[Jordan Baller]

In Peru, celebrations were more lively with folk dancing in the streets. And during a Saturday evening Mass, Bishop Edison Farfan led the congregation at the Ciclayo Cathedral in a prayer of thanksgiving for the man that they lovingly call their beloved bishop. Meanwhile in Rome, the new pope gave his first Sunday papal blessing at St. Peter's Square. During his comments, Pope Leo XIV revealed more about what he sees as his most pressing priorities, including peace in Ukraine and the Middle East. Then during comments at the Vatican Monday, he expressed solidarity with imprisoned journalists and affirmed the importance of free speech and a free press. He also returned to Pope Francis warning about the dangers of artificial intelligence. Before Friday's election by the College of Cardinals, Robert Prevost was not a top contender for leading the church. The first question for many observers after his election was what kind of pope will he be four days later? It's still unclear, though his brother John told the Associated Press, I think he will be a second Pope Francis. I think he's got great concern for the plight of the poor. That said, experts watching the Vatican say while Leo may have similar substance to Francis, his style could well be different.

[Benjamin Eicher]

It's clear that he has a Christ like concern for the poor, but he doesn't conflate love with acceptance of whatever you find in the world.

[Jordan Baller]

Jordan Baller is director of research at the First Liberty Institute's center for Religion, Culture and Democracy. He says Prevost's choice for his papal name harkens back to a figure who brought Catholic teaching to bear on modern challenges.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Leo XIII as a kind of nominal predecessor brings to mind a revival of Catholic social teaching, a commitment to bringing the wisdom of the church to the world.

[Jordan Baller]

Pope Leo XIII served at the turn of the 20th century. He set a new precedent by writing a letter titled Rerum Navarum. He used Scripture to critique ideas of his generation of socialism and economic liberalism.

[Benjamin Eicher]

With the choice of the name Leo xiv, I immediately began thinking of someone who's focusing on rebuilding, restoring the church in many ways and renewing the tradition and applying it to the present day.

[Jordan Baller]

Pope Leo XIV steps into office with culture wars and military conflicts raging around the world and questions about the future of the church, dividing it from within.

[Scott Besant]

What does it mean to be a church that's walking together?

[Jordan Baller]

Stephen White is executive director of the Catholic Project at the Catholic University of America. He's also a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. He says for decades, the Catholic Church has been trying to figure out how to walk together through synods, meetings of bishops to discuss how the church should address important issues. Pope Francis took that a step further by setting up a synod on synodality, bringing Catholics and non Catholics together to discuss issues like women in the church and authority structures. White says hearing questions and concerns of the watching world does have value, but not for deciding what to say about the gospel.

[Scott Besant]

If the church comes to the world.

[Kent Covington]

And says we don't know what the.

[Scott Besant]

Truth of the gospel is, can you.

[Kent Covington]

Help us find out?

[Scott Besant]

You're not going to have a lot of credibility.

[Jordan Baller]

The Synod on Synodality published its findings last year. It's now working on what to do next, particularly on the question of ordaining women. White says he's watching to see what Pope Leo does with the synod going forward.

[Scott Besant]

But to this point it's created more smoke than light, more heat than light.

[Jordan Baller]

As a cardinal, Robert Provost did not take public stands on many hot button issues, but his track record encourages first liberties researcher Jordan Baller.

[Benjamin Eicher]

He seems to be much more open to speaking in more traditional and straightforward terms about realities like sex and gender and the norms that the Bible teaches and that the church teaches.

[Jordan Baller]

Leo has already presented himself as more traditional than Francis in how he approaches the papacy. But he's also demonstrated a clear continuity with his predecessor's priorities, prompting many to wait and see how he comes down on issues of the day. But Baller hopes he'll take the approach of his namesake, Leo xiii.

[Benjamin Eicher]

You know, when you're faced with corruption, when you're faced with the challenges of adapting to changing circumstances, there's nothing more wise or prudent than to go back to your unchanging foundations. So for the Pope, of course, that's going to be the magisterium of the church and the tradition and an emphasis on the centrality of Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today and forever.

[Jordan Baller]

Reporting for world, I'm Paul Butler.

[Myrna Brown]

Coming up next on THE WORLD and everything in it. Syria. President Trump meets today with Syria's interim president during his visit to Saudi Arabia. The US has long used economic sanctions to punish regimes that violate human rights. That's why Congress passed the CESAR act in 2019, codename for the whistleblower who smuggled out photos from Syria that proved atrocities.

[Mary Reichardt]

The law targets Syria's former dictator Bashar al Assad for his use of chemical warfare, torture, torture and more. It seeks to hold the regime accountable by targeting anyone who helped support it. Now with Assad gone, some lawmakers are calling for an end to the sanctions. But others say hold on. Syria's long history of political and religious violence makes trust a dangerous thing. World reporter Leo Braceno has the story.

[Leo Braceno]

Going back to 2011. American sanctions on Syria block global dollars and products from going in and Syrian oil from coming out. And in 2019, lawmakers added restrictions for anyone doing business with Syria. That's forced Syrians to get creative with getting basic necessities like propane. Middle east studies professor Michael Province saw that firsthand Back in March. He called me from France, and when.

[Jordan Baller]

I came from Lebanon, my taxi driver took propane bottles, big ones, you know, like what people use in their houses, which is like a 10 gallon tank probably. And he had those in his trunk, in the trunk of the car when we crossed.

[Scott Besant]

And when we went back to Lebanon.

[Jordan Baller]

A few days later, he took empty tanks.

[Leo Braceno]

Province studies the modern history of the Middle east at the University of California, San Diego. He says that the Caesar act makes imports like gas almost impossible to get through normal means.

[Jordan Baller]

You know, it played a big role in strangling the previous government, which was a good thing, but now it's starving people to death.

[Leo Braceno]

In December, a hodgepodge of militia groups flooded the capital city of Damascus, bringing Assad's reign of terror to an end. But to restore order, Syria badly needs investment to repair its economy and basic utilities like its power grid. Joshua Landis is the co director for the center of Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.

[Scott Besant]

These guys who've taken over the government are from Idlib province and they're fighters. They don't have much expertise. They're going to need foreign companies to come in and build. They don't have money. The government is completely bankrupt.

[Leo Braceno]

Congressman Corey Mills of Florida went on a two day fact finding mission to Damascus last month to see if the new regime would protect religious, political and social minorities. Mills told me outside the Capitol that he's encouraged by what he saw.

[Corey Mills]

The ministry of I think it's a special tourism and transition is a Christian female with full authorization. You have equal representation within from the Alawites, from the Druze, the Christians, the Muslims.

[Leo Braceno]

At the head of that new government is Ahmed Al Shara, the rebel leader that led the insurgency against Assad. For lawmakers like Mills, his leadership will be the key factor for decisions about sanctions. Mills met with Al Shara and said the interaction went well.

[Corey Mills]

But we can't forget about his past.

[Leo Braceno]

Obviously, that past is a dark one. Before he was Al Shara, Syria's interim president went by another name, Al Jelani. University of Oklahoma professor Landis says Al Jilani was the name he carried as a terrorist.

[Scott Besant]

He was Al Qaeda in Syria. He was the captain. At the age of 20, he went to Iraq from Syria to fight America in 2003, when America invaded right at the beginning. And he joined Al Qaeda there and he became a foot soldier. And evidently he was good at setting out roadside bombs.

[Leo Braceno]

It wasn't until he got into hot water with another Islamic extremist group that Al Jelani rebranded himself as a Syrian freedom fighter. Now he's making the case that he wants to establish peace, but American lawmakers want to see results first. Congressman Tim Burchett of Tennessee sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

[Scott Besant]

I'm taking a shot at it. Six months to a year, get rid of it. And I don't want to give them. I don't want them to just be covering stuff up either. I mean, they got. That's a realistic, realistic objectives.

[Leo Braceno]

Even with new leadership, life in Syria is still pretty turbulent. Earlier this year, sectarian conflicts between religious groups turned deadly when more than a thousand people died in mass shootings carried out by Islamic extremists against non Sunni minorities, including Christians. The Sunni Muslim government has pledged to combat these kinds of outbursts, but its affiliation with radical groups carrying out those attacks doesn't sit well with lawmakers who want to see stronger protections in place before removing sanctions. Congressman Mills says there's perhaps a middle ground.

[Corey Mills]

We could not lift the sanctions, just suspend the current sanctions where if the metric isn't met and the conditions aren't met, we could flip the switch right back on. I see, and go right back into full sanctions and never touch them again.

[Leo Braceno]

Mill said he's working with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a handful of other members in the House of Representatives to draft legislation on such a proposal. He has not said when he expects to unveil it, but he hopes that the legislation gives the United States the opportunity to bring more stability to the region.

[Corey Mills]

And again, President Trump will go down in history as the guy who not only created the Abraham Accords and expanded it, but pushed Russia out of their stronghold for 50 plus years in Syria and created more stabilization than the Middle east that we haven't seen in decades.

[Scott Besant]

Sure.

[Corey Mills]

And so, and without putting a single boot on the ground.

[Leo Braceno]

Reporting for World, I'm Leo Bruceno.

[Kent Covington]

Additional support comes from Pensacola Christian College Academic Excellence, Biblical Worldview, Affordable Cost, Go pcci Edu World and from Ambassadors Impact Network, helping entrepreneurs with a purpose find the support they need to thrive with faith aligned financing options. [e-mail].

[Mary Reichardt]

Well, I grew up in a small Missouri town of 3,000, so this story resonates with me. What do you get when you trade traffic jams for tractor pulls? Evidently you get contentment in maybe even a check for $5,000.

[Leo Braceno]

And ladies and gentlemen, we have to.

[Jordan Baller]

Do it without a mountain range, without an ocean. But we have great amphitheaters, we have quality schools, we have low cost of.

[Leo Braceno]

Living and awesome quality of life.

[Mary Reichardt]

That's Mayor Chris Jensen of Noblesville, Indiana, where the neighbors wave and the cows are calm. And he's not alone. Small towns across the Midwest are handing out relocation checks, wellness stipends and even fresh eggs. And remote workers, especially those gen zers, are moving in, their kids are out riding bikes and community is the priority. So you can just forget those $8 lattes and sky high rents. Turns out the middle of nowhere might just be where it's at It's THE World and Everything in It. Today is Tuesday, May 13th. Thank you for turning to World Radio to help start your day. Good morning. I'm Mary Reichardt.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. Coming next on THE WORLD and Everything in it, holding Hamas accountable. As you heard in the newscast, Hamas has released the last American hostage earlier. Earlier in the year, the terror group freed 33 others as part of a temporary peace deal. 25 returned alive and eight came home in coffins.

[Mary Reichardt]

Families usually get some warning about the shape their loved ones are in, but the full truth of what happened in captivity unfolds slowly, and the trauma never really resolves. World's Mary Muncie reports.

[Caroline Levitt]

When hundreds of people gathered in Hostage Square in January, Noam Safir sat down at an outdoor piano in the middle of the plaza. She and others waited to see if their relatives would be released in a recently announced swap.

[Tom Neguyan]

My grandfather is Lomomansu. He's the oldest hostage in captivity.

[Caroline Levitt]

Zafir talked to Ijt about him. He survived a Nazi inspired terrorist attack when he was a boy, and Safir held out hope that he would survive this attack, too. By then, she'd waited two years for any news about him.

[Tom Neguyan]

I know he's supposed to be on this deal, and I'm allowing myself to be a bit more optimistic.

[Caroline Levitt]

While Zafir waited, she sang a song dedicated to her grandfather. Safir has spent almost every Saturday in Hostage Square since Hamas kidnapped her grandfather on October 7, 2023. We talked about the first rounds of hostage releases.

[Tom Neguyan]

We all yelled, clapped, cried. It was tears of joy. But it was very comforting to be with other families of other hostages, your friends who know exactly what you're going through.

[Caroline Levitt]

Two weeks after the January swap, her father showed up at her apartment. The Israeli Defense Forces had received intelligence that her grandfather would be part of.

[Tom Neguyan]

An upcoming swap on day 493. It was February 10, but the news wasn't good.

[Caroline Levitt]

They would only be getting his body back. Her grandfather had died.

[Tom Neguyan]

It was honestly heartbreaking and all the hope I had was shattered. I was shattered.

[Caroline Levitt]

In each swap, the living hostages went immediately to the hospital, while the bodies of the dead went to Israel's National Forensic Medicine center, the only organization qualified to do forensic autopsies in the country. When Hamas released the bodies of Mansoor and three other hostages, people gathered along the route to the forensic center. The center's goal is to identify the bodies and determine how they were murdered. Adding to the testimony of the returned living hostages but the longer it takes for Hamas to release the remains, the harder it is to confirm what happened. Some worry that time is erasing anything the remaining hostages bodies could have revealed, and it's making them harder to identify.

[Tom Neguyan]

We were not allowed to see the body. Even if you were allowed to see the body, what you see is not a body after more than 500 days. So even if someone gave me the opportunity, I don't think I would have taken it because of the state of the body.

[Caroline Levitt]

After examining Mansoor's body, the medicine center determined that he was murdered in the first days of the war. The Safir says Mansoor's wife knows what happened to him, but hasn't shared any details with Safir.

[Tom Neguyan]

I do know something happened to the body because that's how they were able to determine that he was murdered.

[Caroline Levitt]

Hostages that came back alive say Hamas kept them in dark tunnels, gave them little, if any food, and sometimes beat them. The bodies of those who come back tell much the same story. Zafir and her family buried Mansoor near the kibbutz where he lived before he was kidnapped. It was heartbreaking. Still, Safir says it's better for them than many other families. The IDF told them about Mansoor's death, confirmed his identity, and delivered his body to them. Meanwhile, other families have grappled with false reports and rumors. In one case, Hamas misidentified a body, leaving the family in limbo and suffering from whiplash. One Israeli psychology professor says that kind of scenario could add to disordered grieving, where families don't get to follow the normal course of grieving. And it often extends a mourning process that's already lengthy and intense. Zafir thought knowing what happened to her grandfather might give her closure.

[Tom Neguyan]

But it's not closure because of that hope for almost 500 days that you keep hoping that one day you will see your loved one again. I'll see my grandfather again.

[Caroline Levitt]

She'd watched almost 100 hostages return to their families, many of them walking on their own two feet. And she'd hoped to see her grandfather return in the same way.

[Tom Neguyan]

To get that message during times of high hopes is really breaking, really shattering, because you. It's when you least expect it, because he was supposed to be coming back as well in this deal, but we hoped that he'll come back alive.

[Caroline Levitt]

The day after she learned about her grandfather's death, Safir went back to Hostage Square. She wanted to support her friends. She watched on screens on the edge of the square as some newly released hostages hugged their loved ones.

[Tom Neguyan]

Of course, I was happy for the families and the hostages who got released. I suddenly understood that I wasn't going to get that kind of feeling like them.

[Caroline Levitt]

Safir doesn't go to Hostage Square as often as she used to. When she does, it's to spend time with other people who understand what the past 585 days have.

[Tom Neguyan]

I had so many things that I wanted to tell him. I wanted to talk to him once again. But the terrorists took it away from me and the entire family, and they took his life.

[Caroline Levitt]

And with that, a chapter of hope has closed and a time of mourning opened. Saphir doesn't know how long this chapter will be. Reporting for World I'm Mary Muncie.

[Tom Neguyan]

I think about you all the time For I have heard your whispers I fear someday you lose your mind for going way too far I worry that you lose yourself Cause I have.

[Myrna Brown]

Today is Tuesday, May 13th. Good morning. This is the World and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Mary Reichardt]

And I'm Mary Reichard. Up next, World Opinions contributor Joe Rigney says true Christian compassion isn't soft on the truth. But while progressives preach empathy, their version of it often harms. Real love, he says, stands firm against the lies.

[Scott Besant]

The other day, a friend asked how Christians should address the fact that compassion is often regarded as a characteristic of progressives, not conservatives. In the popular imagination, compassion and care are left coded. That is these virtues are ostensibly given greater priority among liberals and progressives. My friend was thinking of this problem in terms of evangelism. What do we do when unbelievers feel that they have to give up compassion in order to become conservative Christians? As I thought about the question, I began to consider how Jesus addressed a similar problem. In the first century, righteousness and holiness were Pharisee coded. That is both in the Pharisees self understanding and in the popular imagination, righteousness and holiness were regarded as Pharisaical priorities. And yet think of how Jesus approached this problem. He warned his followers about the hypocritical appearance of righteousness, practicing righteousness to be seen by others standing in the streets to show off their deeds in the ancient equivalent of virtue, signaling. Indeed, the entire Sermon on the Mount might be seen as Christ's attempt to reorient the meaning of righteousness among Jews in the first century. Throughout his ministry, Jesus refused to grant that the Pharisees were truly righteous. They neglected the weightier matters of the law while excelling in relative trivialities. Again and again, Christ insists That for all their talk of righteousness, the Pharisees honored God with their lips, but their hearts were far from him. Not only that, but they substituted man made traditions for the actual commands of God. Empty talk may have garnered them a righteous reputation, but the reality was very different. So what does this mean for us today? How should conservative Christians address the reputation gap when it comes to compassion? First, we must actually be compassionate according to the biblical standards. Kindness, tenderheartedness, vows of mercy. These must mark us as individuals and communities. Second, we must be aware that the devil is a liar and will seek to steer us by our reputation. Accusing conservative Christians of a lack of compassion is one of the fundamental tools that the devil and his brood of vipers have used to sabotage and mute the church's witness by demanding that Christians prove their compassion according to progressive standards. And unfortunately, Christians have sometimes had heads as soft as their hearts. Third, like Christ, we must refuse to adopt the framing of the left when it comes to defining compassion. We must tell people, beware of practicing your compassion before others, to be seen by them. Don't sound the trumpet or stand on the street corner announcing your compassion. Like the empathetic Pharisees, they have received their reward. More than that, we must be clear about the left's failure to be compassionate. Given their false ideology, the people they help often end up worse because of the treatment. Just look at the breakdown of the family, failing schools, rampant crime and drug use, and the enfeebling dependence on government aid that afflicts communities that receive progressive compassion. But the evil of progressive compassion goes beyond unintended consequences. In the name of compassion, they castrate children and murder the unborn. In the name of compassion, they celebrate sodomy and other forms of sexual perversion. In the name of compassion, they overwhelm communities with migrants and destroy social trust and cohesion. They outsource compassion to bureaucratic agencies in order to get rich and garner a reputation for mercy and care. Like the Pharisees of old, they have rejected and nullified the word of God for the sake of their so called compassion. In short, how should Christians deal with left coded compassion? Well, be compassionate like Christ, refuse to be steered by falsehoods, and be ready to puncture the lie of progressive compassion. I'm Joe Rigney.

[Mary Reichardt]

On tomorrow's Washington Wednesday, Trump's budget bill is coming together, taking aim at some of the most divisive areas.

[Scott Besant]

Policy.

[Mary Reichardt]

We'll take a closer look. And while the opioid crisis dominates the news, another rising drug problem is taking hold. That and more tomorrow. I'm Mary Reichert.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. Our story today about Pope Leo XIV was written by Washington producer Harrison Waters. The world and everything in it comes to you from World Radio. World's mission is biblically objective journalism that informs, educates and inspires. The Bible says, though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light, momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. Part of verses 16 through 18 of 2 Corinthians, chapter 4. Go now in grace and peace.