The most senior Roman Catholic within the Holy Land, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, has called for an end to the war between Israel and Hamas and for renewed respect for the foundations of war.
His statement got here after a visit to the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, which was shelled last week by an Israel Defense Force (IDF) tank. Three people were killed within the incident and 10 wounded, including the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli.
Holy Family is one in all just three churches in Gaza, and is the one Catholic church within the territory. Throughout the present conflict it has acted as a haven for the small variety of Christians living in Gaza.
The late Pope Francis was reportedly in every day contact with the church within the months leading as much as his death.
Cardinal Pizzaballa visited the church after what he called a “heinous attack” by the IDF. He was accompanied by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem
In an announcement, the cardinal said, “Let us not turn peace right into a slogan, while war stays the every day bread of the poor.”
The cardinal also called upon the international community to make sure that international law regarding the treatment of civilians and the distribution of aid be respected. He also called for an end to “collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force and the forced displacement of the population”.
The current conflict began on 7 October 2023 when Hamas launched a terrorist attack from Gaza which killed over a thousand Israeli civilians. Israel’s counteroffensive has devastated Gaza, with tens of hundreds killed, mostly civilians, as whole settlements have been levelled.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court, a fact he decries as an antisemitic “blood libel”.
Whatever the rights and wrongs of the conflict, there isn’t any doubt as to its effects on unusual people.
Cardinal Pizzaballa spoke of what he saw on his visit to Gaza.
“It is time to finish this nonsense, end the war and put the common good of individuals as the highest priority,” he said.
“We walked through the dust of ruins, past collapsed buildings and tents in every single place: in courtyards, alleyways, on the streets and on the beach, tents which have develop into homes for individuals who have lost every little thing.
“We stood amongst families who’ve lost count of the times of exile because they see no horizon for a return. Children talked and played without batting an eyelid, they were already used to the noise of the bombing.”
Despite the horrors unfolding within the region, the cardinal said that the complete “dignity of the human spirit” was still visible amongst people who remain.
“We met moms preparing food for others, nurses treating wounds with gentleness, and other people of all faiths still praying to the God who sees and never forgets,” he continued.
“We haven’t come as politicians or diplomats, but as pastors. The Church, your entire Christian community, won’t ever abandon them.”
 The most senior Roman Catholic within the Holy Land, Cardinal Pierbattista...){kind=link}