Cardinal Pizzaballa among the children of Gaza. “We must rebuild our hearts, be united and strong”

by Marzio Pelù

GAZA – For the second consecutive Christmas, and the fourth time since the beginning of the conflict in Palestine, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa visited Gaza. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem has been among the small Catholic community of the Holy Family Parish throughout the pre-Christmas weekend, once again expressing the Church’s closeness to the Christians of the Strip (fewer than 1,000 out of over 2 million inhabitants), who have been hard-pressed by two years of war and forced to live in harsh conditions and with uncertain prospects despite the ongoing truce. 

“Above all, we must rebuild our hearts. Do not be afraid; we must be united and strong,” said Cardinal Pizzaballa, meeting with parishioners and those who had gathered to welcome him. Men, women, and children—despite the difficulties—prepared a festive welcome for the Patriarch, accompanied by a delegation of religious from Jerusalem. “You have demonstrated, especially during the war but also now,” the cardinal said, “what it means to remain strong. You are a living testimony not only of resilience, but of faith and hope for the whole world.”

“You can’t imagine how many churches, groups, associations, and people from all over the world have come together to let me be here,” Pizzaballa continued. Certainly, he forcefully reiterated, “we cannot forget what happened and we will never forget it, but now we must move forward.” Receiving his words and encouragement, as Vatican News reports, was Father Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest of the Latin Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City, the same church hit by an Israeli attack on July 17, which resulted in several casualties and damaged the church. Receiving the Patriarch, the parish priest—who was injured in the July attack—explained in a video shared on social media, is a “great joy,” “even amid so much suffering.” His is “a long-awaited and much-appreciated visit,” organized despite all the technical difficulties, not only related to permit procedures but also to infrastructure. “The roads are destroyed,” and there were many trucks waiting with goods destined for businesses. “Prices have dropped,” Romanelli explained, “but most people cannot afford basic necessities. Humanitarian aid is therefore essential for the majority of the 2.3 million people” in the Strip, the parish priest noted.

Upon arriving in Gaza City, Patriarch Pizzaballa toured the city’s various neighborhoods, arriving in Zaytoun, where—as Father Romanelli reported to Vatican News—”he received a wonderful welcome from all the parish groups: the priests, nuns, children, the sick, the elderly, members of the Emergency Commission, refugees,” and school staff, as well as “Christian and Muslim students.” “It was the first celebration that could be held as a school after more than two years of war,” the parish priest explained. The celebration, organized by teachers and students, included singing, dancing, official speeches in Arabic and English, and much gratitude for the support received from the Patriarchate.

A very touching moment was the symbolic gesture that took place immediately afterwards. The Patriarch, accompanied by the Muslim and Christian students of the school, went to the entrance of the Holy Family Parish and released two doves as a sign of peace. “They were all happy,” Father Romanelli recounted. “The doves soared into the sky above us, above the church, and then flew away. It was a deeply felt moment,” “a sign of the peace that Christ came to bring and that we want to continue to spread with the help of Him and His Mother.”

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem then visited the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyry, where he met with a delegation of religious and Archbishop Alexios. There was no shortage of support for the sick, whom Cardinal Pizzaballa met personally and to whom he imparted the Chrism of the Sick. Upon returning to the parish, the Patriarch joined the faithful, sitting among them in the pews and gathering in prayer. A special thought was dedicated to the two Gaza parishioners killed by Israeli fire on the same December day two years ago.

The Cardinal also visited the Caritas headquarters in the Al-Nasr neighborhood (north Gaza), where he met with staff and patients. He then moved on to the medical clinic of the Union of Churches in the Al-Rimal neighborhood (west Gaza). Other stops included: the humanitarian aid depot run by Catholic Relief Services; the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza’s Old City; the Jordanian Hospital, Tal al-Hawa; Al-Azhar University, Tal al-Hawa; and the camps for displaced persons along the Gaza City seafront.

Finally, today Christmas Mass was celebrated in the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza, ahead of December 24th, when Cardinal Pizzaballa will be in Bethlehem for the traditional midnight mass. During the celebration, the cardinal baptized a Palestinian baby: a gesture that perhaps more than any other sums up the meaning of Pizzaballa’s visit to Gaza.

All the pics (and the video) are by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem