Church leaders called the Catholic Church of the Holy Family — which recently was shelled by Israeli forces — a place of destruction but one also of ‘wonderful humanity.’
1 of 6 | Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, called for an end to “this nonsense” during a joint press conference about the severe suffering they witnessed during a rare visit to Gaza on Tuesday. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
The Catholic Church’s Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem called on regional and world leaders to end the violence in Gaza after Thursday’s deadly church shelling.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Patriarch Theophilos III, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and other clergy toured the remains of the Catholic Church of the Holy Family in northern Gaza on Tuesday.
They called for an end to the war during a press conference held afterward at the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center in Israel.
“We entered a place of devastation, but also of wonderful humanity,” Pizzaballa told media.
“We walked through the dust of ruins, past collapsed buildings and tents everywhere: in courtyards, alleyways, on the streets and on the beach — tents that have become homes for those who have lost everything,” Pizzaballa said.
“And yet, in the midst of all this, we encountered something deeper than the destruction: the dignity of the human spirit that refuses to be extinguished,” he continued.
“We met mothers preparing food for others, nurses treating wounds with gentleness, and people of all faiths still praying to the God who sees and never forgets.”
Pizzaballa called on regional and world leaders to find a way to restore “life, dignity and all lost humanity” in Gaza.
“It is time to end this nonsense, to end the war and put the common good of people as the top priority,” he said.
Patriarch Theophilos III called Gaza a “land bruised by prolonged affliction and pierced by the cries of its people” after touring the church’s grounds.
“We entered as servants of the suffering Body of Christ, walking among the wounded, the bereaved, the displaced and the faithful whose dignity remains unbroken despite their agony,” Theophilos III said.
“We encountered a people crushed by the weight of war, yet carrying within them the image of God,” he said.
“Among the broken walls of the Church of the Holy Family and the wounded hearts of its faithful, we witnessed both profound grief and unyielding hope.”
Theophilos III said, “Silence in the face of suffering is a betrayal of conscience,” and called on the international community to make peace in Gaza.
Two were killed and several injured, including a priest who suffered non-life-threatening injuries, when the IDF shelled the church.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday apologized for Israel Defense Forces shelling the Catholic church, which is the only one in Gaza.
He said a “stray ammunition” struck the church, and Israeli officials are investigating the matter.
Local residents and displaced Gazans were using the church for shelter when it was struck.
