Pope Francis calls Gaza parishioners every day

Some of the refugees sheltering at Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza (Image ANSA)

Source: Vatican News

Pope Francis is continuing to be in contact, every day, with the Catholic community at Gaza's Church of the Holy Family, that is currently sheltering around 700 Palestinians who have lost their homes in the ongoing bombardment by Israel.

Following the attacks by Hamas on 7 October in which 1,400 people were killed and 200 others kidnapped, Israel's retaliatory strikes on Hamas infrastructure in Gaza have killed more than 10,000 people, including over 4,100 children. Tens of thousands have been displaced.

Parish Priest Fr Gabriele Romanelli says there is no safe place in Gaza "neither in the North nor in the South."

Fr Gabriele, who was in Jerusalem at the time of the Hamas attacks has been unable to enter Gaza to be physically with his flock, but says he speaks to them every day if possible. At times communications have been cut off, leaving the community isolated, but at the present time they have resumed.

Fr Gabriele says his parishioners are as well "as one can be in a time of war, in a place of war, but the place they feel safest is with Jesus.. They know, that there is no safe place in all the Gaza Strip, neither in the North nor in the South, but they feel the presence of Jesus, the closeness of Jesus and of the whole church."

Fr Gabriele reiterates their gratitude to the Pope, whom he says "calls them every day, to say 'hello', to ask how they are doing and to give his blessing."

Above all, Fr Gabriele says, they pray and they ask that we continue to pray for peace.

"They have a Mass in the morning, one in the afternoon, the constant recitation of the Rosary" in different groups and with some of the 700 refugees who are sheltered in the church and parish grounds.

Fr Gabriele appeals that those who have a voice - diplomats, politicians, journalists, people of good will, men and women throughout the world - not only pray, but also work for peace.

In his address to the United Nations in New York yesterday, Vatican envoy Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, expressed sorrow at the terrible humanitarian situation in Gaza. He decried the loss of innocent Palestinian lives as well as "the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, and the indiscriminate suffering of the population," which has been deprived of basic needs.

"As in any conflict the Holy See calls for the absolute protection of each and every civilian. It is imperative that hospitals and medical facilities, refugee camps, schools, as well as places of worship and their premises, are not targeted by anyone," he added.

The Apostolic Nuncio reiterated the appeal made by Pope Francis: "I beg you to stop: cease using weapons! I hope that avenues will be pursued so that an escalation of the conflict might be absolutely avoided so that the wounded can be rescued and help might get to the population of Gaza where the humanitarian situation is extremely serious. May the hostages be freed immediately."

"Let everything possible be done to avoid a humanitarian disaster, while keeping humanitarian corridors open to allow aid to reach the entire population and to heal the wounded."