In Gaza, a wounded priest continues to celebrate Mass among rubble and displacement. In Rome, hundreds of priests are preparing to march under the banner “Christ Died in Gaza.” Though separated by geography, both stories reveal how the Catholic Church is struggling to live out its mission of compassion and justice in the midst of one of today’s most painful conflicts.
On September 9, Father Gabriel Romanelli, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Gaza, received an unexpected call from Pope Leo XIV, Zenit reported. It was the first time the pontiff had personally reached out to the besieged community, assuring them of his prayers and blessing, and expressing his constant concern for peace.
Today, Romanelli’s parish shelters around 450 displaced people, the elderly, the sick, and children, who have refused to leave despite military orders. Even after an Israeli tank strike in July left him wounded and killed three parishioners, the priest insists on staying with his people. Amid tragedy, the parish has also witnessed signs of life: a wedding and the birth of a child. “These are blessings from God in the heart of pain,” Romanelli said.
Thousands of kilometers away, a new Catholic initiative is amplifying the voices of Gaza on the world stage. Under the motto “Christ Died in Gaza,” more than 550 priests from 21 countries, most of them in Italy, have pledged to pray, denounce war crimes, and support communities in the Holy Land. Their network, “Priests Against Genocide,” stresses that the suffering of Palestinians cannot be met with silence.
At a press conference, Fr. Pietro Rossini, a Xaverian missionary, explained: “We do not speak as politicians, but as pastors entrusted with communities that believe in the dignity of every human life. Our message is not against anyone, but in favor of life and peace.” According to Zenit, the movement has condemned Hamas’s October 7 attacks but also denounced what it describes as Israel’s disproportionate response: indiscriminate bombings, starvation tactics, and violations of international law.
The priests’ first public action will be a prayer vigil and march in Rome on September 22, coinciding with the closing of the UN General Assembly. As they walk toward Italy’s Parliament, they will pray the Lord’s Prayer in Arabic and listen to testimonies of Palestinian lives lost.
Together, the witness of Gaza’s parish and the protests of priests in Europe highlight the Church’s twofold mission: compassion on the ground and advocacy on the global stage. From the Pope’s personal phone call to the collective voice of clergy refusing to remain silent, the message is clear: the Gospel demands a defense of human dignity, even in the darkest of times.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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