Israel Latin Patriarch visits Gaza before Christmas
Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the highest Catholic dignitary in the Holy Land, visited the embattled Gaza Strip before Christmas.
23.12.2024, 13:03
SDA
During the solidarity visit, Pizzaballa celebrated mass in the small Christian community of the Holy Family parish in the city of Gaza, the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem announced at the end of the trip.
The cardinal also met the Greek Orthodox Archbishop Alexios of the Church of St. Porphyrius in Gaza in the coastal strip, it added. The aim was to "emphasize the spirit of brotherhood and unity among the Christian communities in Gaza". Pizzaballa was also informed about humanitarian aid initiatives. Aid organizations have repeatedly warned of hunger in the area, where war has been raging for more than a year.
The statement said that they were praying "that this Christmas will bring new hope for an end to the ongoing tragedy in Gaza and the wider region and the beginning of a better and more peaceful future for all".
Pope Francis had lamented on Saturday that Pizzaballa had been prevented from entering Gaza the previous day due to Israeli air strikes. On Sunday, the Israeli authorities then allowed the Catholic dignitary to travel to the blockaded coastal strip.
In the Holy Land, Christians form only a tiny minority: around 1,000 Christians live in the Gaza Strip, out of a total population of more than two million. In Israel, Christians make up just under two percent of the ten million citizens. In the West Bank, they make up around 1.5 percent of the approximately three million Palestinians.
