The Church will never abandon Gaza, Patriarchs say following visit

July 24, 2025

The Latin and Greek Orthodox Patriarchs of Jerusalem held a joint press conference on July 22 to discuss their visit to Holy Family Church in Gaza, following the Israeli military strike that left three dead and ten wounded there.

“We entered a place of devastation, but also of wonderful humanity,” said Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM. “We walked through the dust of ruins, past collapsed buildings and tents everywhere: in courtyards, alleyways, on the streets and on the beach—tents that have become homes for those who have lost everything.”

“Christ is not absent from Gaza,” he continued. “He is there—crucified in the wounded, buried under rubble and yet present in every act of mercy, every candle in the darkness, every hand extended to the suffering. We have not come as politicians or diplomats, but as pastors. The Church, the entire Christian community, will never abandon them.”

The Latin Patriarch added:

Humanitarian aid is not only necessary—it is a matter of life and death. Refusing it is not a delay, but a sentence. Every hour without food, water, medicine and shelter causes deep harm. We have seen it: Men holding out in the sun for hours in the hope of a simple meal. This is a humiliation that is hard to bear when you see it with your own eyes. It is morally unacceptable and unjustifiable ...

And today we raise our voices in an appeal to the leaders of this region and the world: there can be no future based on captivity, displacement of Palestinians or revenge ... It is time to end this nonsense, end the war and put the common good of people as the top priority. We pray—and call—for the release of all those deprived of freedom, for the return of the missing, the hostages and for the healing of long-suffering families on all sides.

“Among the broken walls of the Church of the Holy Family and the wounded hearts of its faithful, we witnessed both profound grief and unyielding hope, said Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III “We knelt in prayer beside the afflicted and laid our hands upon those yearning for comfort.”

The Greek Orthodox Patriarch said that “the Church’s mission in times of devastation is rooted in the ministry of presence, of standing with those who mourn, of defending the sacredness of life, and of witnessing to the light that no darkness can extinguish.” He added:

To the international community, we say: silence in the face of suffering is a betrayal of conscience. To the children of Gaza, we affirm: the Church remains beside you. And to all those who wield power, we echo the Lord’s command: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).

 

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Further information:

• Press Conference on the Patriarchs’ Visit to Gaza (Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem)
• Opening statement of His Beatitude Pierbattista Cardinal Pizzaballa
• Statement by His Beatitude Theophilos III, The Patriarch of Jerusalem