“Children who have seen so many terrible things need to encounter beauty again,” for Gaza is "not only war — it is also love and a desire for life,” Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the leader of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, said about his trip to Gaza made together with his Orthodox counterpart.
His Beatitude Cardinal Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem (Catholic), and His Beatitude Theophilos III, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine and Jordan (Orthodox), traveled to Gaza on June 22-23 for a joint pastoral visit.
According to a joint press release from the Patriarchates, this ecumenical visit expressed “the pastoral responsibility of the Churches of Jerusalem toward the local churches and toward the whole population of Gaza.”
Vatican News reports that this is the second time the two patriarchs have visited Gaza together in wartime. The first visit was in 2025. On that occasion, “the two patriarchs appealed to world leaders to bring an end to the war and to begin a path of healing and reconciliation for the whole of the Holy Land.”
This time, their first stop was the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius, where the local community welcomed both Patriarchs with great enthusiasm. According to an article on the Patriarchate’s website, they then went to Holy Family Parish. Cardinal Pizzaballa explained that “it was important to make the visit together with Patriarch Theophilos III as a sign of the unity of the Churches and their shared commitment to the Christian community.”
Their Beatitudes encouraged the people there to persevere despite the difficult circumstances. “War does not excuse us from living out the Gospel,” Cardinal Pizzaballa said during a Mass at the parish.
Prayer, personal encounter, and presence
The program for the visit included various meetings with “clergy, religious communities, local Christian families and people affected by the continuing humanitarian crisis.” The nature of the encounters was neither political nor merely philanthropic. “Prayer, personal encounter and pastoral presence” were the heart of this trip. In this way, the Patriarchs sought “to offer spiritual strength, comfort and hope in the midst of deep suffering.”
During the trip, the patriarchs blessed a new healthcare clinic, a joint project of the Order of Malta and the Latin Patriarchate. Healthcare is desperately needed in Gaza right now. According to the Patriarchate’s report on the visit, all the hospitals in the region have been damaged, about half to the extent of having to close completely.
His Excellency Dr. Josef D. Blotz, Grand Hospitaller of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, and representatives of Malteser International (the Order of Malta’s humanitarian agency) also accompanied the patriarchs throughout the trip. This reflects the organization’s “enduring commitment of faith-based humanitarian service to health care, relief work and the protection of human dignity in Gaza,” the press release adds.
“Love and desire for life”
Among their many visits to both religious and secular venues, the patriarchs paid special attention to education. While visiting a kindergarten belonging to the Latin Patriarchate, they attended the graduation of 24 children, according to an official report. “The first thing we have to do is think about our children and their future,” Cardinal Pizzaballa said.
“Children who have seen so many terrible things need to encounter beauty again,” he explained. “We believe in the providence of God; He who willed for us to be here, did not bring us here by chance. Rather, He calls us to work together to do something beautiful in this land.”
“Gaza is not only war — it is also love and a desire for life,” he concluded.
Cardinal Pizzaballa also visited Al-Azhar University of Gaza. There, he participated in an event on “Interreligious Dialogue and the Values of Coexistence and Peace.” He emphasized the importance of dialogue of this kind, “especially in times of conflict.” Values shared by people of different faiths are “foundations for peace.”
“You, the youth, are the ones who will rebuild Gaza. Where there is a will there is a way,” he told students. “Hatred is more dangerous than bombardment because it generates violence,” the cardinal said. “We all have a responsibility to resist it.”
Christians will never abandon Gaza
The conflict in the region has been overshadowed in much of the world’s public awareness. News outlets have switched their focus to the military clash between the USA and Israel on one side and Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon on the other. However, families in Gaza “continue to endure grave humanitarian suffering, fear, loss and uncertainty,” the press release notes.
“We never abandoned you and you’ll never be abandoned, The Christian community in Gaza will always remain our concern and our responsibility,” the patriarchs told the crowds. “We are rooted here and will remain here. Do not be afraid. The situation is difficult, but we face it together.”
The presence of the two religious leaders brought “the prayer of Jerusalem to Gaza’s wounded faithful and to all who suffer,” the press release says. This is “a ministry of consolation, mercy and steadfast Christian witness rooted in the Gospel and in the sacred vocation of the Holy City.”
For more images of the visit, click on the slideshow below:
