Pizzaballa says that the current negotiations represent the "last chance" for peace between Israel and Hamas.

Speaking at the Rimini Meeting in Italy, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem described the situation as a "fateful moment", calling for an immediate ceasefire to prevent the crisis from deteriorating further.

The war, which began on 7 October following a Hamas attack on Israel, has led to unprecedented suffering for both Israeli and Palestinian populations.

Pizzaballa highlighted both sides' deepening hatred, resentment and mistrust, stressing the urgent need for political and religious leadership to guide the region out of its current turmoil.

"We cannot talk about peace at this moment" the Patriarch stated, reflecting on the persistent violence. He acknowledged that while a path to peace exists, institutional leaders lack the resolve to pursue it.

"War will end" he added. "I hope that the negotiations will resolve some problems: I have my doubts, but this is the last train."

Anti-semitism condemned

The Latin Patriarch noted the internal strains within the Catholic Church, with some members serving as soldiers in the Israeli army. In contrast, others endure the hardships of living under bombardment in Gaza.

Amidst this, the small Christian community in the Holy Land continues to face significant challenges. Despite their political insignificance, Pizzaballa emphasised that the mere presence of Christians in the region is symbolically important.

The Patriarch also condemned the resurgence of anti-Semitism, calling it a "drama" and a sign of "deep decadence of civilisation". He stressed the responsibility of religious leaders to oppose ideologies that deny others the right to exist.

Push for diplomatic solutions

Meanwhile US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been actively engaged in Middle East negotiations, urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire.

Blinken highlighted the importance of humanitarian aid reaching affected areas and called for the protection of civilians. His involvement underscores the Biden administration's push for diplomatic solutions amid escalating violence.

Blinken also stressed that any ceasefire must include provisions for the safe release of hostages held by Hamas. His diplomatic efforts are seen as crucial in preventing further deterioration of the conflict and fostering a sustainable peace in the region.

Sources

Vatican News

Katholisch

The Guardian

CathNews New Zealand

His visit aimed to deliver a message of hope and peace to the residents who have been enduring severe hardship.

The cardinal also showed solidarity with the Christian community amidst the ongoing conflict.

"I was comforted by meeting the community" said Pizzaballa.

"The situation is very complicated" he said, but "I found a well-organised, active community capable of living in this situation with the right attitude.

"I did not hear a word of anger. I heard words of pain, suffering and lament - but not of anger or resentment. Everyone desires for the war to end. They told me ‘We Christians don't have violence in our blood. We can't understand all of this'. It seemed truly significant to me."

Cardinal Pizzaballa met with members of the displaced Christian community.

He also led prayers and celebrated Mass at the Church of the Holy Family.

The Cardinal also visited the St Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church, which suffered damage during the conflict. This visit symbolised unity and the shared suffering among different Christian denominations in Gaza.

Need for humanitarian aid

During a press conference following his visit, Pizzaballa highlighted the dire conditions faced by Gaza's residents, emphasising the lack of basic necessities and the urgent need for humanitarian aid.

The cardinal said that the destruction he witnessed was on an unbelievable scale and that the living conditions, with a lack of water, electricity and security were dire.

"At the end of my visit, I celebrated the Feast of Pentecost with the parish of Gaza and administered the sacrament of Confirmation to two parishioners" he said.

Pizzaballa emphasised two important things:

• The necessity of maintaining unity among each other, which I saw and bear witness to.
• And the crucial role played by the priests and sisters in the community in the past period.

"I also urged them, with the power of the Holy Spirit, to keep the flame of hope alive in their hearts and lives. I assured them that as a church, we will not abandon them and will be among the first to help rebuild Gaza and assist its people in achieving a dignified life" the cardinal said.

"What else can I say: I want to send a clear message to decision-makers. Enough killing!

"The war must end, and avenues for various aid must be opened to avoid an imminent humanitarian crisis. I hope this nightmare ends quickly" Pizzaballa said.

Sources

• Crux Now
• Catholic News Agency
• Religion News Service

The claim is that the pope has not sufficiently condemned the crimes of Hamas and, furthermore, that he has created a symmetry between Hamas and Israel in his comments.

If that were not enough, apart from the pope, the church officials charged with dialogue with the Jewish people—first and foremost among them Cardinal Kurt Koch, head of the church's Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews— have chosen thunderous silence, not responding at all to the horrific events that took place in Israel.

The Jewish expectation was that as the fruit of the blessed process of dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people, the church and its leader would stand by our side in our fight against the terrorism of Hamas.

It is not my interest here to enter into a debate with the criticism that is being leveled, and there might or might not be some truth in it.

Rather, I seek to present the issue within a broader context, that of interreligious dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people.

Interreligious dialogue, by its very nature, is expressed through formal institutions, whether they be those of the Jewish rabbinic establishment or those of the church.

At the same time, precisely because the dialogue is developing in positive ways, it inevitably breaks through the formal frameworks that have been established and is practiced in the best possible way — through people rather than through institutions, and through those who do not need an official role in the dialogue in order to talk to one another.

In other words, the most successful interfaith dialogue takes place between religious leaders who desire to talk to one another, rather than between those who are formally obligated to talk to one another.

When we began to realise the extent of the horrors of Oct. 7, many of my Catholic friends contacted me immediately because of their deep concern.

This concern was personal and human, and my friends also expressed genuine anguish for the Jewish people because of the tremendous crisis it was experiencing. Such concern, bursting from the heart, is dearer to me than a thousand official letters from senior bureaucrats in the church.

On the night of Oct. 7, I discovered that my friends in the Catholic Church do not simply engage in diplomatic relations with me. Rather, they are truly my friends and friends of the Jewish people.

One good example of the kind of friendship I am referring to was provided by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem.

He expressed himself in an exceptional way on Oct. 16, when he offered himself in return for the Israelis who had been kidnapped: "I am ready for an exchange, anything, if this can lead to freedom, to bring the children home. No problem. There is total willingness on my part."

It was completely evident that his words were sincere, and the sorrow he expressed was completely authentic.

In all of Cardinal Pizzaballa's statements, even those in which he expressed his deep concern for the residents of Gaza and criticised the practices of the State of Israel (perfectly logical considering that he is the patriarch first and foremost of his Palestinian flock), he continued to harshly condemn the criminal acts of Hamas on Oct. 7. Continue reading

• Guy Alaluf is an Israeli Orthodox rabbi and teacher who researches the relationship between Judaism and the Catholic Church. He leads the Daath and Tvuna (Knowledge and Understanding) Orthodox Jewish Community in Rosh HaAyin, Israel.

Pope Francis' representative in the Holy Land, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, made the comment on Monday during a video conference.

Child hostages

About 12 children are among the 200 or so Israeli people Hamas took hostage on 7 October.

A further 1,300 people reportedly died in the Hamas attack.

Pizzabella is particularly concerned for the children.

"I am ready for an exchange, anything, if this can lead to freedom, to bring the children home," Pizzaballa said in response to journalists' questions during the video conference.

"No problem. There is total willingness on my part.

"The first thing to do is to try to win the release of the hostages, otherwise there will be no way of stopping [an escalation]. We are willing to help, even me personally."

Pizzaballa also noted that his office had not had any direct contact with militant Islamist group Hamas.

"You can't talk to Hamas. It is very difficult," he said.

In Gaza

Diplomatic efforts are ramping up to get aid into Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel is preparing a ground invasion to destroy Hamas, Reuters reports.

On Monday Gaza authorities were reported as saying Israeli strikes had killed at least 2,750 people.

A quarter of the dead were children.

In addition, Gaza authorities say about 10,000 people were wounded during the strikes. Besides these, a further 1,000 people have been listed as missing, believed buried under rubble.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa

Jerusalem's Catholic Patriarch - whose role includes overseeing Catholic activities in Israel and the Palestinian territories - says about 1,000 Christians were sheltering in Church buildings in northern Gaza.

Their homes were destroyed in Israeli strikes, he told reporters during Monday's video conference .

"They don't know where to go because moving is dangerous," Pizzaballa said.

Israel has urged exhausted Gazans to evacuate to the south. Hundreds of thousands have already moved to the enclave that is home to more than 2 million people.

Hamas, which runs Gaza, has told people to ignore Israel's message.

Source

• Reuters

The pope said at the end of a public address on Sunday he is following the violence "with apprehension and sorrow" and issued an appeal to "please stop weapons attacks!"

The head of the Catholic Church in Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, called for a de-escalation of the situation in a statement Oct 7.

"The continuing bloodshed and declarations of war remind us once again of the urgent need to find a lasting and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in this land," he said.

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