Advertisement
The pope appealed for peace in Gaza and for humanitarian aid to continue and also expressed his closeness to the people of Burkina Faso after a terrorist attack there on Aug 24.
Muslim cemeteries have opened to receive the bodies of Christians and give them a dignified burial.
The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need reported that the Christian community in Gaza “is going through the worst period” since the start of the war.
The Vatican has overseen the Pontifical Collection for the Holy Land since 1974. Last year it raised more than $7 million.
Sean Callahan said he was able to witness the countless displaced individuals and families that have struggled in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas conflict began.
The Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem reported that two women were shot by the IDF on Dec. 16.
The West Bank remains “a huge prison” where people cannot move to get basic services, and Gaza is reeling in a deep humanitarian crisis, a Caritas official has said, noting that staff of the charity arm of the Church who are based in the two zones are unable to provide any help to those affected by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa explained that it is “charity and prayer” that have animated the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem “in times of extreme hardship.”
The U.N. said Sunday that “thousands of desperate people” had “stormed U.N.-operated warehouses” and other aid distribution centers in the Gaza region.
As the fighting continues in the Holy Land between Hamas and the Israeli army, the Church is doing everything in its power to alleviate the burden of war on its affected parishioners.
The ongoing tension in the Middle East has flared up again in a war between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip.
Father Gabriel Romanelli expressed his gratitude for the closeness, concern, and prayers, along with the “hundreds of messages” he receives every day.
Pope Francis prayed Sunday that the recently signed cease-fire between Israelis and Palestinians will be maintained and that “the weapons will be silenced.”