Attack on the Catholic Church in Gaza condemned unreservedly: “This horrific war must end!”

“Every passing day, the human cost becomes more unbearable, the world’s silence more deafening, and the paralysis of the international community more unjustifiable.” The Custody of the Holy Land reacted with and sorrow at the news of Thursday’s attack on the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza. The only Catholic church in the Strip, which is currently home to around 500 displaced Christians, was hit by an Israeli tank strike. Three people died and ten were wounded, including the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, who sustained an injury to his leg. Pope Leo XIV was the first to convey his condolences. In a telegram signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy Father said he was “deeply saddened” by the incident.

The Pope renewed his call “for an immediate ceasefire” and expressed his “profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation and lasting peace in the region”.

In a statement, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem condemned “this tragedy and the targeting of innocent civilians and a sacred place”, stating that “this horrific war must come to a complete end – so that we may commence the long work of restoring human dignity”. “People who found sanctuary in the Church”, the statement reads, hoped “that the horrors of war might at least spare their lives, after their homes, possessions and dignity had already been stripped away.”

The voice of the Churches: from Italy to the United States.

In a heartfelt message, the Italian Episcopal Conference expressed its “closeness to the community affected. Our thoughts go out especially to the wounded, among them Father Gabriel Romanelli.” The Italian bishops strongly condemned the spiral of violence that “has been plaguing the Gaza Strip for months” and called “for an end to the violence and the commencement of negotiations, as this is the only viable path to peace.” The President of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), Msgr. Mariano Crociata, expressed his deep solidarity with the “small Catholic community in Gaza”, emphasising that

“War, wherever it may unfold, is always a defeat for humanity and a wound to the dignity of every person”.

The news reached Msgr. Crociata while in Ukraine for a visit. The French Bishops’ Conference expressed “heartfelt solidarity with the Church and the peoples in the Holy Land” and emphasised that “there is no justification whatsoever for attacking a House of Peace such as the Holy Family Church”. The Argentine Bishops’ Conference also expressed their sorrow and reiterated the Pope’s call for a ceasefire. Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said: “Our first concern, naturally, goes out to Father Gabriele Romanelli and all his parishioners. With the Holy Father, we continue to pray for peace”.

First-hand testimony: “If the parish priest hadn’t warned us, it would have been a massacre.”

 

Anton Asfar, director of Caritas Jerusalem, gave a dramatic account: “The blast hit the cross on top of the church, sending shrapnel and debris falling into the courtyard. Everyone is terrified and barricaded in their rooms.” The Church compound is home to families who had already lost everything. In addition to the parish priest, two elderly women in Caritas’ psychological support tent suffered serious shrapnel wounds, along with three young people near the church entrance.

“If Father Gabriel hadn’t warned us to stay indoors, we could have lost 50 to 60 people today. It would have been a massacre”, said a Caritas worker.

Caritas Jerusalem renewed its appeal urging respect for places of worship and humanitarian facilities. “Endangering civilians seeking refuge constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law and an assault on human dignity.” Caritas Italy strongly condemned the attack: “What has been happening in Gaza for months is not war, but cruelty”, reads the statement from Caritas that also called for an end to the sale of arms and for all forms of terrorism to be condemned. “Charity is not neutral. Peace is a collective responsibility and a prophecy that must be upheld, even if it means going against the tide.”