The Holy Land’s most senior Catholic cleric presided over a Christmas Mass in Gaza on Sunday against a backdrop of apocalyptic destruction and displacement, calling on Palestinians to “not just survive” but to “rebuild their lives” in Gaza.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, visited the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City on his fourth visit to the Palestinian enclave since Israel began military operations in Palestine. This is the first since a deadly Israeli attack in the parish in July.
“We, like many others across most of Gaza, are in a very precarious situation,” Pizzaballa told parishioners in his Sunday sermon.
“We think world powers decide our future, but in reality it’s us, the people here, who decide how to rebuild everything,” he said. “I advise you not to lose hope. We are now in a new phase of this situation. We must not only survive, but rebuild our lives.
“In this new phase, we must bring the spirit of Christmas, the spirit of light, the spirit of kindness, the spirit of growth,” Pizzaballa added. “It seems impossible now, but after two years of terrible war, we are still here.”
The late Pope Francis has called Holy Family Church in Gaza City every day since October 2023 to speak with church leaders and some of the Palestinians staying in the diocese, Father Gabriel Romanelli previously told CNN.
Pizzaballa’s visit comes more than two months after Israel and Hamas agreed to a U.S.-led ceasefire, and as survival continues to be difficult for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Israeli fires, severe aid restrictions, food insecurity and flash flooding have exacerbated the enclave’s crisis.
Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported on Saturday that at least 401 people have died since the October 11 ceasefire. According to the Health Ministry, a total of 70,925 Palestinians have been killed and 171,185 injured since October 7, 2023, when Hamas and other extremist groups began attacks on Israel.
CNN footage broadcast from Gaza City on Sunday showed the sound of loud bells ringing in the parish as baby Mario was baptized to commemorate “new life” and “new hope,” according to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The perimeter of the Church of the Holy Family was dotted with red and gold decorations, green garlands and ribbons, and tall Christmas trees covered in tinsel were erected in the corners.
George Bisan, an 11-year-old Palestinian, told CNN he remains shocked by the July attack on the church.
“Many people were injured and killed when they shelled the church from above,” George said on Sunday. “My wish for the new year is that I get out of here and see my family overseas and that we have peace. … We want to live.”
For other members of the Christian community, the faith leaders’ visit to Gaza offers comfort to Palestinians living under siege and bloodshed.
“The visit is seen as a form of support and steadfastness to the local population,” Ramez al-Thuri, a refugee in Gaza City, told CNN on Sunday. “The people of Gaza love life and want to live in peace.”
In October 2023, within the first two weeks of the fighting, three of al-Thuri’s children, Suhail (14), Julie (12), and Majid (11), were killed in an Israeli airstrike as they sought refuge in another church in northern Gaza.
At least 17 people were killed in the attack on St. Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church, one of the world’s oldest churches, Palestinian health officials said. CNN previously reported that the Israeli military said at the time that the attack was aimed at Hamas.
“There are no children left. They are all victims of this war,” al-Thuri added.
“As the new year arrives, I hope it will be a year of love and peace, where all people can live in freedom and hope for a better tomorrow,” he said.
