Cardinal Pizzaball by Catholic Church England and Wales ( Mazur cbcew.org.uk) / Flickr
After returning from a pastoral visit to Gaza, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III called July 22 for an immediate end to war, urgent humanitarian aid, and long-term reconciliation.
At a joint press conference in Jerusalem, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem said that during the pastoral visit they witnessed widespread destruction. He described the region as devastated by conflict but sustained by the resilience of its people.
“We walked through the dust of ruins, past collapsed buildings and tents everywhere: in courtyards, alleyways, on the streets and on the beach — tents that have become homes for those who have lost everything,” Cardinal Pizzaballa said. “We stood among families who have lost count of the days of exile because they see no horizon for a return. Children talked and played without batting an eyelid — they were already used to the noise of the bombing.”
Despite the suffering, the cardinal pointed to what he called “the dignity of the human spirit that refuses to be extinguished,” citing examples of mothers sharing food, nurses treating wounds, and people continuing in prayer.
“Christ is not absent from Gaza,” he said. “He is there — crucified in the wounded, buried under rubble and yet present in every act of mercy.”
The visit came just days after the Holy Family Church, Gaza’s only Catholic parish, was severely damaged in an Israeli airstrike. On July 17, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem issued a sharp condemnation of the attack, calling the ongoing war “absurd” and warning that such violence was inflicting irreparable harm on the region’s already fragile Christian presence.
Cardinal Pizzaballa personally visited the parish following the strike, delivering aid and expressing solidarity with those affected. Pope Leo XIV also intervened, speaking directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu July 18 to urge a ceasefire and stress the need to protect civilians and religious sites.
In his remarks at the press conference, Cardinal Pizzaballa warned that denying humanitarian access amounts to more than just delay.
“Refusing it is not a delay, but a sentence,” he said. “Every hour without food, water, medicine and shelter causes deep harm. We have seen it: Men holding out in the sun for hours in the hope of a simple meal. This is a humiliation that is hard to bear when you see it with your own eyes. It is morally unacceptable and unjustifiable.”
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Patriarch Theophilos described encountering people “crushed by the weight of war, yet carrying within them the image of God.”
He recalled praying beside victims of the violence. He said their pastoral visit was guided by the words of St. Paul: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2).
Both leaders affirmed that their mission in Gaza is not political.
“We have not come as politicians or diplomats, but as pastors,” Cardinal Pizzaballa said. “The Church, the entire Christian community, will never abandon them.”
He reiterated that Catholic institutions in Gaza serve all people — Christians, Muslims, doubters, and refugees — without distinction.
The cardinal later added that given the urgency of providing humanitarian aid, “[w]e support the work of all humanitarian actors — local and international, Christian and Muslim, religious and secular — who are risking everything to bring life to this sea of human devastation.
“And today we raise our voices in an appeal to the leaders of this region and the world: there can be no future based on captivity, displacement of Palestinians or revenge.”
Quoting Pope Leo XIV’s July 20 Angelus address, Cardinal Pizzaballa appealed to world leaders to uphold international law and protect civilians.
“It is time to end this nonsense, end the war and put the common good of people as the top priority,” he 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.”
Addressing similar concerns, Patriarch Theophilos urged international leaders not to remain indifferent.
“[S]ilence in the face of suffering is a betrayal of conscience,” he said.
Concluding the address, Cardinal Pizzaballa said healing between Palestinians and Israelis will require “a genuine, painful and courageous reconciliation” and warned not to turn peace into rhetoric.
“Let us not turn peace into a slogan,” he said, “while war remains the daily bread of the poor.”
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