Church clings to life amid chaos in Gaza
Aid to the Church in Need echoes Pope Leo XIV’s call for peace.
The Gaza Strip is currently going through one of the darkest periods of its recent history. On Tuesday (Sept 16) a United Nations Independent Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israel has committed genocide against the population of Gaza, denouncing crimes against humanity in the conflict which has been ongoing for almost two years. Deeply moved, Pope Leo XIV has once again raised his voice to call on the international community to find a solution other than the forced exile that the civilian population is currently facing: “We must find another way”, he stated.
In this context of violence and chaos, the Catholic parish of the Holy Family in the neighbourhood of Zeitoun, in central Gaza City, remains an oasis of life amid the devastation. The parish priest, Argentinian Fr Gabriel Romanelli, along with another two priests and two religious sisters of the Institute of the Incarnate Word and three Missionaries of Charity, cares for around 450 refugees, mostly Catholic and Orthodox, but also Muslims, and people with disabilities.
“We are well, thank God, although the situation is terrible. Nobody knows where this war is going”, says Fr Romanelli, in a message to pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), sent at the weekend. “We share what we have with our neighbours, but what is really important is that the war should end.”
Speaking from Jerusalem on Thursday (Sept 18), the director of the Development Office of the Latin Patriarchate, George Akroush, confirmed that the people in Gaza have described an extremely dramatic and heartbreaking reality that has worsened in recent weeks. “The civilian population continues to suffer from bombings, displacement, and an acute shortage of food, medicine, and electricity. In recent days, the Israeli army has begun demolishing homes just a few hundred meters from the Catholic compound, apparently in preparation for an upcoming ground operation, since the streets in Gaza City are too narrow for tanks or large military vehicles. These nearby demolitions keep families in constant fear and worry.”
Life and endurance beneath the bombs
Despite the intensification of the Israeli military offensive against Gaza City, the religious who serve the parish have decided to stay. “Faced with the reality of the elderly, the sick, the exhausted, the depressed and the children, it seems to us that the Lord is asking us to stay and continue to serve those who suffer. This is a simply human and spiritual observation”, Fr Romanelli says.
George Akroush reassured ACN that the Patriarchate believes this is the right choice, given the circumstances. “Remaining at the compound is indeed a wise decision by our people, since nowhere in Gaza can truly be considered safe. Those who left are enduring some of the worst situations of their lives: tents are erected in the middle of the streets, hygiene conditions are extremely poor, and there is a severe shortage of everything. Above all, death is everywhere, and the fact is that there is no such thing as a safe place in Gaza.”
Everyday miracles in wartime
The horror of this humanitarian tragedy has not managed to erase all traces of joy. In recent weeks the parish has witnessed events that, in another place and another time, would seem common, but which here border on the miraculous: a wedding between two young refugees, the birth of little Marco – the youngest Christian in the community – and the bestowal of scapulars on a group of children, young people and adults on the feast days of Our Lady.
“The Lord has shown his goodness and his presence in this newborn”, said Fr Romanelli in his message. Activities at the Saint Joseph oratory resumed at the end of August after a two-month interruption, and Father Gabriel even told ACN, two days before Tuesday’s Israeli offensive, that he wanted to start school again at the end of the week. To these signs of life was added another reason for joy, namely the closeness of the Pope, who has telephoned on several occasions to ask about the community and bless it.
ACN adds its voice to Pope’s appeal
With the recent UN statement, ACN adds its voice to Pope Leo XIV’s recent appeal for the international community to make an urgent and coordinated effort to open paths of peace, to protect the vulnerable and to ensure sufficient humanitarian aid.
“We continue to pray and we try to do good to everybody”, Fr Romanelli concludes. “Thank you to all those who support us. Continue to pray for us, and for all who work for peace.”
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