Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has received a new and moving testimony from Gaza, following the 17 July attack on the Catholic church of the Holy Family, which left three people dead and more than ten wounded. Fr Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest of the local Catholic community, sent a message directly to the pontifical foundation, expressing his gratitude, but also his pain and unshakeable faith in the midst of the tragedy.
“Here we are, after these terrible days of war, and especially these bombings: 15 people were hit, three of them died and two are still in serious condition,” says the priest in his message.
Despite the suffering, the priest wanted to show his closeness to all those who support the mission of the Church in the Holy Land. “Firstly, I want to say thank you for the prayers and friendship of Aid to the Church in Need, which fill our hearts. And besides that, I know that ACN has plenty of initiatives to help the Christians in the Middle East, especially in these parts of the Holy Land, in the West Bank and in Gaza,” he said.
The priest also highlighted the perseverance of his community, which has been badly affected by the attacks, but remains rooted in faith. “We are deeply affected by the facts of Thursday, 17 July, but we remain in the hands of the Lord. We continue to do good, protecting the children, the sick and the wounded.”
His voice filled with hope, the priest concluded with a message of gratitude. “We wait for peace. It is absolutely necessary. Once more, thank you so much for all the spiritual, moral and material help. May God bless you and may the Virgin Mary protect all ACN benefactors, their families and loved ones.”
This testimony comes at a critical time. On Sunday, 27 July, a temporary ceasefire was announced to allow for the urgent access of humanitarian aid into Gaza. After weeks of intense bombings, this break in the hostilities could allow the entry of food, medicine and other essential goods for a population bordering on humanitarian collapse.
The international community, along with organisations such as ACN, has insisted on the need for a lasting peace, and the unconditional protection of civilians, regardless of their religion.
It was in this context that Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, warned about the consequences of denying access of humanitarian aid, during a press conference last week: “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.”
Not mincing his words, the Cardinal denounced the humiliating scenes of “men holding out in the sun for hours in the hope of a simple meal”, and highlighted the value of all who risk their lives to help: “we therefore support the work of all humanitarian actors — local and international, Christian and Muslim, religious and secular — who are risking everything to bring life to this sea of human devastation.”
Nonetheless, Patriarch Pizzaballa recalled that the mission of the Church is universal and does not exclude anyone. “It is important to emphasise and repeat that our mission is not for a specific group, but for all,” he explained, stressing that hospitals, schools, parishes and shelters such as St Porphyrius, the Holy Family, the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital and Caritas, “are places of encounter and sharing for all: Christians, Muslims, believers, doubters, refugees, children”.
Despite the suffering, the Cardinal also offered a powerful message of hope and faith: “Christ is not absent from Gaza. 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.”
Regina Lynch, executive president of ACN, reaffirmed the foundation’s solidarity with the Christians of the Holy Land. “We at ACN reiterate our firm commitment to the Christians in the Holy Land, and to all the innocent people caught in the middle of the conflict.” She added that, beyond material support, “our mission is to raise our voices for those, who have no voice and to be bearers of hope to those who keep their faith in the midst of such pain.” ACN will continue to accompany the region’s most vulnerable Christian communities through spiritual support and concrete acts of pastoral and emergency aid.
By Maria Lozano.
