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CV NEWS FEED // The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, visited the only Catholic parish in Gaza on May 16 to bring spiritual and material support to its suffering communities.
Upon arrival, Cardinal Pizzaballa celebrated Mass at the parish of the Holy Family with a small delegation, parishioners, and the church’s Argentinian pastor, Fr. Gabriele Romanelli.
The Grand Hospitaller of the Sovereign Order of Malta, Fra’ Alessandro de Franciscis, was also present.
According to a news release from the Patriarchate, the pastoral visit marked the beginning of a broader collaborative effort with the Sovereign Order of Malta, Malteser International, and others, to bring humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.
“They met the suffering population to encourage them and to deliver a message of hope, solidarity, and support,” reads the news release.
During the visit, Cardinal Pizzaballa also went to St. Porphyrius Orthodox parish, which is reportedly the oldest active church in Gaza. The church was hit in October 2023 during an Israeli military operation in Northern Gaza.
The Cardinal has worked to support the communities affected by the Israel-Hamas conflict. In October 2023, he said he would be willing to offer himself in exchange for the children held hostage by Hamas, to bring them to safety.
In 2023, he also wrote a letter calling for a day of prayer and fasting for peace. Catholics around the world participated.
As CatholicVote previously reported, the Cardinal wrote in the letter, “This is the way we all come together despite everything, and unite collectively in prayer, to deliver to God the Father our thirst for peace, justice, and reconciliation.”
