“We encountered something deeper than the destruction: the dignity of the human spirit that refuses to be extinguished. We met mothers preparing food for others, nurses treating wounds with gentleness, and people of all faiths still praying to the God who sees and never forgets,” Cardinal Pizzaballa said, reading from a prepared statement.
“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.”
The July 18-20 pastoral visit followed the Israeli shelling of the Holy Family Parish church compound in Gaza that killed three people and injured 10.
The patriarchs described the massive numbers of “starving and hungry-looking people” they saw stranded along the roads and the long lines of people waiting for food as they travelled to the church compound.
Prices on the black market have made basic nutrition unaffordable, worsening health conditions, especially for the elderly and children. “This is really very harsh to the heart,” Cardinal Pizzaballa said.
Read more: https://cathnews.com/2025/07/24/christ-not-absent-from-gaza-but-crucified-in-the-wounded-patriarchs/
By Judith Sudilovsky, OSV News
