Pizzaballa and Theophilus III in Gaza among Christians affected by an Israeli attack
In a strong oecumenical gesture, the Latin and Greek Orthodox patriarchs of Jerusalem visited the Holy Family parish bringing some 500 tonnes of aid. Answering a phone call from Netanyahu, Leo XIV reiterated his call for an end to “this slaughter”. A BBC report documents the scale of the systematic destruction with bulldozers of entire areas in Gaza carried out by Israel since last March.
Jerusalem (AsiaNews) – The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, accompanied by the Greek Orthodox Primate Theophilus III, entered Gaza today after more than a year to bring a message of closeness and solidarity to the Christians of Holy Family parish.
Yesterday, Gaza’s Catholic Church was subjected to a brutal attack by the Israeli military, resulting in the deaths of three people, serious damage to the building, and injuries inflicted on several residents of the compound, including the parish priest, Fr Gabriel Romanelli.
The two patriarchs were part of an ecclesiastical delegation that wished to express the “shared pastoral solicitude of the Churches of the Holy Land and their concern for the community of Gaza," reads a statement from the Latin Patriarchate (LPJ).
Christians in the Gaza Strip are increasingly bound by an "ecumenism of blood," which unites in suffering and strengthens the bonds of solidarity between members of different confessions.
The delegation led by the cardinal, which reached the parish of the Holy Family as scheduled, met with members of the local Christian community, offered condolences, and expressed solidarity to the victims and their families. It also provided aid amid the huge needs.
During the travel, Cardinal Pizzaballa also received a phone call from Pope Leo XIV, who reiterated his call for a truce because “it's time to stop this slaughter”. The pontiff also expressed “his closeness, care, prayer, support, and desire to do everything possible to achieve not only a ceasefire but also an end to this tragedy.”
This morning, Pope Leo received a phone call from Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, to whom he reiterated his appeal for “renewed push for negotiations, a ceasefire and an end to the war,” reads a statement from the Vatican Press Office.
The pontiff "expressed his concern about the tragic humanitarian situation of the population in Gaza, whose children, elderly, and the sick are paying an agonizing price,” and “reiterated the urgent need to protect places of worship and, especially, the faithful and all people in Palestine and Israel.”
Returning to Card Pizzaballa in Gaza, through his visit, the cardinal wanted to “personally assess the humanitarian and pastoral needs of the community, to help guide the Church’s continued presence and response.”
Thanks to the Patriarchate's initiative in cooperation with humanitarian partners, approximately 500 tonnes of “essential assistance” supplies are set to be delivered to benefit not only Christians but “as many families as possible.”
“This includes hundreds of tons of food supplies as well as first aid kits and urgently needed medical equipment”, not to mention, “the evacuation of individuals injured in the attack to medical institutions outside Gaza”.
The statement issued by the patriarchate ends expressing gratitude to the Pope, who spoke to Cardinal Pizzaballa yesterday, and to Patriarch Theophilos III, “to offer his support, closeness and prayers.”
Yesterday's attack on the Latin parish church, with its toll of death and destruction, has once again put the spotlight on the daily slaughter in Gaza, which often goes unnoticed and overlooked by the international community.
From US President Donald Trump to European governments, many have called Netanyahu to demand explanations for the attack on a place of worship, hospitality, and care (Mother Teresa's nuns care for about 50 disabled people).
Since the first days of the war in Gaza, this community has been providing aid and solidarity, transcending confessional or religious affiliations; in fact, the parish also hosts Orthodox Christians and has helped Muslim families in recent years.
What has been dubbed an “ecumenism of blood” was visible yesterday afternoon during the funerals of two of the three Christian victims of the Israeli attack, at Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church, itself the target of brutal attacks by the Israeli army in the past.
Also yesterday afternoon, a memorial Mass was also held at the Holy Family Church, concelebrated by the parish priest, Father Romanelli, who chose to be present despite injuries sustained in the attack to his leg.
One of the Christian voices raised in recent hours is that of the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches of Jerusalem, who, in a joint statement, expressed "profound solidarity" with the Latin Patriarchate and with those who were guests at the parish targeted by the “heinous” Israeli attack.
In addition to denouncing the “crime”, Christian leaders noted that “Houses of worship are sacred spaces that should be kept safe. They are also protected under international law.
“Targeting a church that houses approximately 600 refugees, including children with special needs, is a violation of these laws. It is also an affront to human dignity, a trampling upon the sanctity of human life, and the desecration of a holy site.”
In closing, the religious leaders renew their call to the international community to “work towards an immediate ceasefire in Gaza that leads to an end of this war. We also implore them to guarantee the protection of all religious and humanitarian sites, and to provide for the relief of the starving masses throughout the Gaza Strip.”
Meanwhile, the consequences of the war launched by Israel against Hamas in Gaza in response to the terrorist attacks of 7 October 2023, are becoming increasingly devastating.
Since the start of the conflict, over 70 per cent of Gaza's structures have been razed to the ground, equivalent to approximately 160,000 buildings, mostly homes, with the aim of preventing civilians from returning to their homes.
Not only airstrikes and tank attacks have contributed to the devastation, but private contractors operating bulldozers have also contributed, receiving up to US$ 1,500 for each building demolished.
A report published today by the BBC points the finger at Israel, which has demolished thousands of buildings across Gaza since withdrawing from a ceasefire with Hamas in March, with entire towns and suburbs, once home to tens of thousands of people, razed in recent weeks.
Satellite images show massive amounts of destruction in several areas, which the Israeli military command claims to have under its operational control.
(Picture from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem)
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