Pope Leo recently engaged in a significant phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing the urgent need for the protection of places of worship amid ongoing violence in Gaza. This exciting exchange of ideas and inspiration comes on the heels of tragedy. At least three people were killed in an Israeli strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church. Upon the backdrop of this event, Pope Leo once again urged for a ceasefire to be reached between the opposing sides in the region.
The Vatican has since confirmed the substance of the phone call. They highlighted the importance of Pope Leo’s insistence that religious sites be protected above all. Netanyahu’s office acknowledged the conversation, expressing Israel’s deep regret for the deadly incident and extending heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims. According to the Palestinian health ministry, close to 59,000 people have been killed since fighting resumed. That shocking figure underscores the catastrophic humanitarian disaster that now exists across the region.
Here’s what Dr. Fadl Naim, the Director of Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza, had to say about it. He emphasized the reality of caring for the injured while the war continues. They are very different from Christian leaders, including a recent visit to the White House. Was it an effort to “whitewash the reality of the occupation,” or is it evidence of a state-sponsored discrimination that wounds injured people differently depending on their religious affiliation.
“What about the tens of thousands of injured Palestinians who are denied their basic right to travel for treatment?” – Dr. Fadl Naim
In a statement from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, church leaders expressed “the shared pastoral solicitude of the Churches of the Holy Land and their concern for the community of Gaza.” This week, in a remarkable visit, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. This visit is particularly remarkable given Israel’s iron-fisted control over access to the territory.
The church in Gaza has become a refuge for their beleaguered Christian community. It invites everyone else looking for a refuge at this scary time. The global outcry has been swift over the assault on the church, including from the most important international partner of Israel, the United States.
Israel has claimed to “deeply regret” the incident and said the strike was due to stray ammunition. Yet even this explanation has failed to silence the outcry about the loss of life and destruction of a very important historical place of worship.
As tensions continue to escalate, the death toll is mounting. Pope Leo’s appeals for a ceasefire strike a chord with each of us who hopes to see this once-promising region escape the cycle of brutality. The call to local church leaders is to listen, have courageous conversations, and pursue reconciliation. This is crucial, as they lobby and fight for those affected by the war.
