Father Gabriel Romanelli, who ministers to Gaza’s only Catholic church has asked his parishioners to “forgive all those that have failed” because the territory looks to rebuild following the newly announced ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Gaza only has three churches and Father Romanelli’s Holy Family Church was in no way spared the consequences of the war.
Two parishioners were allegedly killed by Israeli Defence Force (IDF) sniper fire church and in a separate incident the church was hit by an IDF tank round.
Three people were killed in that incident, including the janitor and Father Romanelli himself was injured.
In total 57 members of Gaza’s tiny Christian community have been killed within the conflict.
Throughout the conflict the church was used as a refuge by as much as 500 people at a time, mostly Christians, but additionally others. Many individuals with disabilities have found refuge there.
Father Romanelli and a handful of Catholic clergy and volunteers ignored an Israeli evacuation order ahead of a serious offensive in September, arguing that such an order amounted to a “death sentence” for people weakened by the deprivations of the war.
During his Sunday address Father Romanelli said, “This ceasefire, God willing, will grow to be the tip of this atrocious war.
“The long-awaited day has come to start the implementation of the peace process or peace agreement … May God, in his goodness, grant the Holy Land – and particularly this a part of the Holy Land, which is Palestine, Israel – that we may begin to live in peace, in justice, in reconciliation.”
The priest also gave thanks for the primary Sunday without bombing and asked all present “to forgive all those that, voluntarily or involuntarily, have failed, and ask forgiveness for our own shortcomings”.
Father Romanelli and the Holy Family Church were of special interest to the late Pope Francis. During the ultimate months of his life, Pope Francis was reportedly in touch with the parish on an almost every day basis, despite his own worsening health.
 Father Gabriel Romanelli, who ministers to Gaza’s only Catholic...){kind=link}