Gaza prepares for a Christmas without peace, but not without hope
As Christmas approaches, the priest of the only Catholic parish in Gaza, Fr Gabriel Romanelli, tells Aid to the Church in Need that his community is attempting to keep the “flame of hope” alive, and thanks benefactors for the material and spiritual support they provide to the Holy Land.
“Our situation is better than a month-and-a-half ago, when the ceasefire began, but this does not mean that things are well. They remain very serious, very delicate,” says Fr Gabriel Romanelli, of the Holy Family parish in Gaza, which depends on the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, in a message to ACN.
“Many people are saying that the war is going to end, but it has not ended yet. And therefore, peace has not yet arrived,” the priest warns. The greatest concern at the moment is the fact that Gazans can not yet see the light at the end of the tunnel: “They cannot see any clear sign that peace is arriving.”
For now, the humanitarian crisis remains unabated and affects the entire population in the Palestinian enclave of over two million people. “We lack everything,” Fr Romanelli summarises. Electricity has been down for two years, and the little that the parish has, which allows the missionary to record his video-messages, comes from one of the small generators in the parish, and the solar panels. “Unfortunately, most people do not have access to these,” the priest says.
The same occurs with potable water. When it does reach neighbourhoods, it is insufficient. “People wait one, two, or even three hours to get a few litres, which are then distributed and collected in containers and bottles”, the missionary explains. Temperatures have dropped, heavy rainfall has turned the ground to mud, and waste-contaminated pools abound, posing serious health risks.
“Winter clothing needed for coming months”
Basic infrastructures have reached breaking point. “The electrical grid, the water system and the health system are all insufficient, according to the World Health Organisation,” Fr Romanelli stresses. Medication for chronic illness, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, are scarce and “the population desperately needs winter clothing for the cold weather, because most people have lost their homes, and are seeking shelter.”
In the midst of this situation, the Holy Family parish continues its mission. “Since the war began we have helped, and continue to help, tens of thousands of families, but it is not enough”, he humbly recognises. Quoting St Teresa of Calcutta, he adds: “It is like a drop in the ocean. It seems insignificant, but without us, the ocean would have one less drop.” Besides the material help, the parish compound – currently home to over 400 refugees, most of whom are Christians – derives its strength from the spiritual life: daily Mass and adoration, recitation of the rosary and office of hours, all in Arabic, the main language of the faithful. “We constantly try to light a flame of hope,” Fr Romanelli explains.
In a statement released on 15 December, Sami El-Yousef, the CEO of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, lauded the commitment of the community which is headed by three priests and six resident religious sisters. “They are our heroes in Gaza, carrying out their work discreetly but constantly, at great personal expense.”
In his statement, titled “Reflections from the Holy Land”, El Yousef also warned, however, that without “radical” change, current peace initiatives run the risk of joining the long list of past futile efforts, unable to provide a real exit from the crisis. In these conditions, he warned, it is “a matter of time” before the violence returns.
Finally, during this Christmas season, the parish priest of the small Catholic community in Gaza – which 2000 years ago saw the Holy Family cross through on its way to Egypt, to escape King Herod – made a point of thanking ACN benefactors. “Dear brothers and sisters, members of Aid to the Church in Need, this Christmas I want to thank you for all the help you have provided us, especially through the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and ask that you continue to give spiritual, moral and material support to all of the Patriarchate’s initiatives”, he said, concluding with a simple “may God bless you, and Merry Christmas.”
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