The Latin Patriarch acknowledged the difficult times that Christians are living through in the region but encouraged them to be hopeful.
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(LifeSiteNews) -- Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa gave a strong witness to the Catholic faith this Palm Sunday by delivering an inspiring message to beleaguered Christians in the Holy Land suffering due to the ongoing genocide being carried out at the hands of the Israeli military.
Pizzaballa has served as the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem since 2020. Originally from Bergamo, Italy, His Excellency has gained intentional media attention for his many public statements in response to the conflict unfolding in the region. His actions have caused many to view him as a possible contender at the next conclave, though some have suggested he is too young at just 59.
On Sunday, Pizzaballa led hundreds of Catholics in procession in Jerusalem. His remarks were captured on video and posted to social media.
It is a “difficult time we are living (in),” he said. “I know how difficult it is to talk now about hope, peace, in this period. I am thinking now of our community in Gaza. I am very concerned for what could happen there. I am concerned with … what is happening in the West Bank.”
His Eminence continued, “Today, we are celebrating Jerusalem, the Christian Jerusalem. And we have to be proud of this … so my message is this: that we belong to Jesus … no space for fear, no space for hatred. Remain Christian! And we have to announce with our life, with our gestures – with what we say – that no one can separate us from the love of Jesus, from love for Jerusalem and for our Christian way of life here in the Holy Land.”
Pizzaballa’s remarks came days after Father Gabriel Romanelli, an Argentinian Catholic priest stationed at Holy Family Church is Gaza, sent a message to Aid to the Church in Need warning about the escalating number of deaths.
“Recently the number of children killed in this war surpassed 17,000. More than 17,000! It’s terrible, terrible. We have had over 50,000 people killed in this war, and over 110,000 wounded, many of them amputees,” he said.
Romanelli’s church has been repeatedly targeted by Israeli soldiers. Just last month, bombing strikes came within 400 meters of it. In 2023, Israeli snipers were accused of murdering two women who were sheltering at the church.
"No warning was given … they were shot in cold blood inside the premises of the parish," Pizzaballa declared.
In prepared remarks issued Sunday, Pizzaballa urged Catholic to “not be afraid of those who want to divide" or "those who want to exclude or those who want to take possession of the soul of this Holy City, because forever and ever Jerusalem will remain a house of prayer for all peoples (Is 56:7), and no one will be able to possess it.”
Pizzaballa has issued multiple statements since 2023 exposing the Israeli government’s war crimes and its blocking of humanitarian aid. He has offered himself in exchange for prisoners as a way to bring the fighting to an end. Pizzaballa has also called for “new leadership with vision” in both the political and religious arenas, an indirect criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly rejected international resolutions passed at the United Nations to bring the conflict to a halt.
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