Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, held a joint press conference on Tuesday with Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III after the two Christian leaders visited Gaza following the Israeli tank shelling of the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, which killed three Christians.
In an opening statement, Pizzaballa said the “Church, the entire Christian community, will never abandon” the people of Gaza. “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,” he said.
Pizzaballa emphasized that the visit to Gaza and the Church’s efforts were not only for the small Christian community, but also for the broader Palestinian population. “Our hospitals, shelters, schools, parishes — St. Porphyrius, the Holy Family, the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, Caritas — are places of encounter and sharing for all: Christians, Muslims, believers, doubters, refugees, children,” he said.
In his statement, Theophilos said that he and Pizzaballa entered Gaza “as servants of the suffering Body of Christ, walking among the wounded, the bereaved, the displaced, and the faithful whose dignity remains unbroken despite their agony.”
Theophilos said that he witnessed “both profound grief and unyielding hope” during his time in Gaza. “To the international community, we say: silence in the face of suffering is a betrayal of conscience. To the children of Gaza, we affirm: the Church remains beside you. And to all those who wield power, we echo the Lord’s command: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God,'” he added.
Both patriarchs called for peace and a ceasefire in Gaza. “It is time to end this nonsense, end the war and put the common good of people as the top priority,” Pizzaballa said. “We pray — and call — for the release of all those deprived of freedom, for the return of the missing, the hostages and for the healing of long-suffering families on all sides.”
They also recounted the suffering they saw in Gaza due to the lack of food, and their press conference came as starvation deaths due to the Israeli blockade are dramatically increasing. “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,” Pizzaballa said.
Pizzaballa and Theophilos also pointed to recent comments from Pope Leo XIV, who said on Sunday that the “barbarity” in Gaza must come to an end.
