Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, gestures during a press conference at the patriarchate headquarters in the old city of Jerusalem. AFP
Pizzaballa, the Catholic Church’s senior figure in the region and a potential successor to the late pope, told reporters that “Gaza represents, a little bit, all what was the heart of his pontificate.”
Pope Francis, who died on Monday aged 88, was widely regarded as a champion of peace and a voice for the poor and marginalised. These qualities were especially evident in his response to Israel’s assault on Gaza, which has left over 51,000 Palestinians dead and devastated large parts of the territory.
“He was very close to the community of Gaza, the parish of Gaza. He kept calling them many times — for a certain period, also every day, every evening at 7 pm,” said Pizzaballa.
These regular calls, he added, provided stability and comfort for those trapped under the bombardment. “He became for the community something stable… and he knew this,” Pizzaballa said.
Of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents, only about 1,000 are Christian. While most belong to the Orthodox tradition, approximately 135 are Catholic, according to the Latin Patriarchate.
Since the war began, thousands of civilians in the Gaza Strip have sought shelter in hospitals, schools, and other civilian infrastructure. Specifically, members of the Catholic community have found refuge at the Holy Family Church compound in Gaza City, along with some Orthodox Christians.
The compound has repeatedly come under fire, which Pizzaballa and others have condemned as indiscriminate and destructive.
In his final Easter message, delivered the day before his death, Pope Francis condemned the “deplorable humanitarian situation” in Gaza and called for a ceasefire.
“Work for justice… but without becoming part of the conflict,” Pizzaballa said, reflecting on the pope’s approach. “For us, for the Church, it leaves an important legacy.”
Pizzaballa said he will travel to Rome on Wednesday, after leading a requiem mass for the pope at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem in the morning.
As one of the 135 cardinal electors, the Latin patriarch will participate in the conclave to elect a new pope.
Pizzaballa, a 60-year-old Italian Franciscan who also speaks English and Hebrew, arrived in Jerusalem in 1990 and was made a cardinal in September 2023, just before the Gaza war began.
His visits to Gaza and appeals for peace since then have attracted international attention.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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