CV NEWS FEED // A new video has been released by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem testifying to its efforts to address the struggles faced by the faithful in the Holy Land amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
In a press release accompanying the video, the Latin Patriarchate praised its head, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, for his guidance as it has been “working diligently to tackle the difficulties encountered by the faithful in the Holy Land.”
“Amid a sudden and devastating war the faithful in the Holy Land have faced new heights of financial burdens,” the video begins, highlighting how “the Universal Church has borne the burden of the Church of Jerusalem” through its generous response to Cardinal Pizzaballa’s General Appeal.
“We have been able to provide aid to so many families,” the video continued, “first of all in Gaza, but also in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and many other parts of the life of our dioceses of the Latin Patriarchate.”
According to the video, the Patriarchate’s efforts have included the distribution of food coupons, rental payment assistance, coverage for medical and educational expenses, and the creation of job opportunities for Palestinians in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem.
Over 12,000 families total have received some form of this support from the Patriarchate, the video stated.
“The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has sustained the lives of 1,152 Christians who [have taken] refuge at the Holy Family Parish” in Gaza, the video continued.
As CatholicVote previously reported, Cardinal Pizzabala visited the Christian community in Gaza at the beginning of the summer, an experience which he later said “left a mark on me and my life.”
Of the Christians living in the Catholic parish community in Gaza City, as well as the nearby Orthodox Christians, Cardinal Pizzaballa said: “I was surprised that they were the ones who taught me a lesson I will never forget.”
“Their steadfast faith, carried with heartwarming smiles, left a mark on me and my life,” he recalled: “I saw hope and optimism in their eyes. They told me, ‘We will stay here. As long as the church stands with us, we are not afraid.’ I was really impressed by their attitude.”
