Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, recently visited Gaza following intervention by the Pope and amid growing tensions between Israel and the Vatican. On Sunday, 22 December, he celebrated a mass at the Church of the Holy Family, where the small Christian community of Gaza gathered for a moment of solace and spiritual unity. During his address, the Patriarch described the Christians of Gaza as "the light of our Church," recognising their enduring faith amidst unimaginable hardship.

This visit, his second to Gaza since the outbreak of the war, left him deeply moved. The Patriarch expressed sorrow at the escalating devastation compared to his previous visit in May. He spoke of the dire living conditions: rubbish piling up, open sewage, pervasive odours, and a lack of basic hygiene. "The destruction was already immense, but now it is even worse. The environment is harsh, almost impossible to bear," he remarked.

What struck him most, however, was the plight of children in Gaza. He described the scenes of barefoot children wandering through what remains of the streets, surrounded by rubble and ruin. “From a human perspective, it is incredibly painful to see such conditions,” he said, his voice heavy with emotion.

On Christmas Eve, 24 December, the Cardinal will celebrate Midnight Mass in Bethlehem. He has called on Christians around the world to visit the Holy Land, urging them to show solidarity through pilgrimage and to support the local communities who continue to suffer under these dire circumstances. His message is one of faith and hope, even amidst overwhelming despair, as he seeks to unite Christians globally in their shared mission of compassion and understanding.