As christmas Day unfolded, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem delivered a message of resilience to Palestinians in Gaza, where ongoing conflict has created a deepening humanitarian crisis. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa‘s Christmas sermon, delivered during a visit to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, urged Palestinians to focus on rebuilding their lives amidst widespread destruction and displacement following months of intense fighting. The visit marked the Cardinal’s fourth to Gaza since the military offensive began, and came after Pope Francis maintained daily contact with those sheltering at the church since October 2023.
CNN
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The leading Catholic cleric in the Holy Land urged Palestinians to focus on rebuilding their lives, rather than simply surviving, as he presided over Christmas Mass on Sunday amid widespread destruction and displacement in Gaza caused by the ongoing conflict with Israel. The call for resilience comes as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, drawing international concern.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, visited the Holy Family Church in Gaza City during his fourth trip to the Palestinian enclave since Israel launched its military offensive, and the first since a deadly Israeli strike against a Catholic parish in July.
“We are in a very precarious situation, as is the case throughout practically all of Gaza,” Pizzaballa told worshippers during his Christmas sermon.
“Sometimes we think that the powers of the world will decide our future. But in reality, it is us, the people who are here, who will decide how to rebuild everything,” he said. “I encourage you not to lose hope. We are entering a new phase, we must not only survive, but also rebuild life.”
“In this new stage we must bring the spirit of Christmas, the spirit of light, of tenderness and of growth,” he added. “It seems impossible now, but after two years of a terrible war, we are still here.”
Since October 2023, the late Pope Francis had been calling the Holy Family Church in Gaza City daily to speak with church leaders and some of the Palestinians sheltering at the parish, as previously reported by CNN.
Pizzaballa’s visit came as Palestinians continue to face dire survival challenges in Gaza, more than two months after Israel and Hamas agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. Ongoing bombardments, severe restrictions on humanitarian aid, food insecurity, and sudden flooding have exacerbated the crisis in the enclave.
At least 401 people have died since the October 11 ceasefire, the Gaza Health Ministry reported Saturday. In total, 70,925 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli actions and 171,185 injured since October 7, 2023, when Hamas and other militant groups launched an attack against Israel, according to the ministry.
Images from CNN in Gaza City showed church bells ringing powerfully over the parish on Sunday, where a baby, Mario, was baptized as a symbol of “new life” and “new hope,” according to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Red and gold ornaments, green garlands, and ribbons decorated the Holy Family Church, and a tall Christmas tree adorned with tinsel stood in one corner.
Eleven-year-old Palestinian George Bisan told CNN he remains in shock from the attack on the church that occurred in July.
“When they bombed the church from the air, many people were injured and killed,” he said Sunday. “My wish for the new year is to get out of here, reunite with my family abroad, and for us to be able to live in peace. … We want to live.”
For other members of the Christian community, visits from religious leaders to Gaza represent a relief and a source of comfort for Palestinians living under siege and violence.
“These visits are considered a show of support and strength for the community,” Ramez Al-Souri, a displaced resident of Gaza City, told CNN on Sunday. “The people of Gaza love life and aspire to live in peace.”
During the first two weeks of fighting, an Israeli strike killed Al-Souri’s three children — Suhail, 14; Julie, 12; and Majd, 11 — as they sought shelter in another church in northern Gaza in October 2023.
The attack on the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius — one of the oldest in the world — left at least 17 people dead, according to Palestinian health authorities. At the time, the Israel Defense Forces said the target of the strike was Hamas, CNN previously reported.
“There are no more children. They have all become victims of this war,” Al-Souri added.
“With the arrival of the new year, we hope it will be a year of love and peace, in which all people can live in freedom and with hope for a better tomorrow,” he said.
