(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) Pope Leo XIV on Sunday again condemned the Israeli tank shelling of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza City, which killed three Christians, and made another appeal for a ceasefire in Gaza, calling for an end to the “barbarity” and for a peaceful resolution.
“I express my deep sorrow over the attack by the Israeli army on the Catholic Parish of the Holy Family in Gaza City. As you know, last Thursday, it resulted in the deaths of three Christians and the serious wounding of others,” the pontiff said after his weekly Angelus prayer.
“I pray for the victims: Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh, Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad, and Najwa Ibrahim Latif Abu Daoud. I express, in particular, my closeness to their families and all the parishioners. This act tragically adds to the ongoing military assaults on civilians and places of worship in Gaza. I call, once again, for an immediate end to the barbarity of war,” the pope added.
Leo’s strong statement suggests the Vatican is not accepting Israel’s claim that the attack on the church was an accident, something Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, had cast doubt on since the strike was a direct hit.
Leo spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, and, according to a Vatican statement, he “repeated his appeal for a renewed push for negotiations, a ceasefire and an end to the war” and “again expressed his concern about the tragic humanitarian situation of the population in Gaza, whose children, elderly and sick are paying an agonizing price.”
Cardinal Pizzaballa entered Gaza on Friday along with Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III to show support for the small Christian community in Gaza City following the strike on the church. The visit marked the third time Pizzaballa entered Gaza since October 7, 2023. Pizzaballa was still in Gaza on Sunday and celebrated Mass at the Holy Family Church.
When Pizzaballa entered Gaza on Friday, he received a call from Pope Leo, who expressed his support. “Pope Leo repeatedly stated that it is time to stop this slaughter, that what has happened is unjustifiable, and that we must ensure there are no more victims,” Pizzaballa told Vatican News following the call.
The bombing of the Holy Family Church came as Israel has been ramping up its genocidal war, killing close to or more than 100 Palestinians each day. Many Palestinians are also suffering from malnutrition due to Israeli restrictions, and aid seekers continue to be gunned down by Israeli forces in large numbers.
In its initial statement on the church bombing, the Latin Patriarchate said this “tragedy is not greater or more terrible than the many others that have befallen Gaza. Many other innocent civilians have also been harmed, displaced and killed. Death, suffering and destruction are everywhere.”
This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.
