Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa downplays global fame, emphasizing plight of Holy Land Christians amid ongoing Gaza conflict and economic hardship.
Newsroom (13/12/2025 Gaudium Press ) Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and one of the Catholic Church’s most recognizable figures, insists his rising international profile is misplaced. Speaking during a recent visit to the Archdiocese of Detroit, the 60-year-old prelate expressed bewilderment at the attention he has received, particularly following his willingness to exchange himself for Israeli child hostages held by Hamas after the group’s October 7, 2023, attack.
“I don’t understand why this created so much attention,” Cardinal Pizzaballa told EWTN News in an interview. “Because this is what any pastor should do: give your life for your flock, for your people, the people you love.” As a consecrated religious, he added, offering his life aligns with his vocation. “I don’t feel like I’m a hero. I feel that this is part of my duty.”
The cardinal’s response to journalists at the time went viral, catapulting him into broader prominence. In the lead-up to the May papal conclave, Vatican observers listed him as a potential contender, citing his peacemaking efforts amid the Israel-Gaza war. He maintains a significant social media following among Catholics and serves on three Vatican dicasteries. Yet Pizzaballa shows little interest in leveraging this platform for debates within the universal Church.
Instead, his priority remains drawing global attention to the struggles of Christians in the Holy Land, whom he describes as his primary concern.
The cardinal’s December 4-7 visit to Detroit centered on fundraising and awareness for this community, estimated at around 190,000 in Israel, 45,000 in the West Bank, and just 500 in Gaza. Despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that took effect October 10, conditions remain dire.
In Gaza, where more than 70,000 people have died and 80 percent of homes lie destroyed, the small Christian community around Holy Family parish faces severe shortages of medicine, food, education, and shelter. In the West Bank, including Bethlehem, the collapse of tourism and revocation of Palestinian work permits in Israel have devastated the economy.
“The Israelis don’t want to have any more Palestinians among them working after Oct. 7, so the two main resources have disappeared,” Pizzaballa explained. “This created a very problematic situation from the economic point of view.”
Heightened tensions have also led to settler attacks on Palestinian communities, including Christian ones. The ceasefire’s phased Israeli withdrawal leaves reconstruction timelines and governance unclear, fostering uncertainty. “The situation is very chaotic and very problematic,” the patriarch said. “And what is scary also for the people [is that] you don’t know how, when this will finish.”
He views the ceasefire as essential, warning that resuming war would be worse, and called it “the only path we have.”
Addressing accusations of genocide in Gaza leveled by some scholars and activists, Pizzaballa avoided the term but stressed the need for thorough evidence and contextual evaluation. “For us, it’s more or less clear what happened there,” he said. “But we need also evidence and also to follow all the process in order to evaluate the facts in their real context.”
The cardinal criticized blending religion with politics, particularly the use of biblical covenants to justify Israeli policies—a view held by some American Christians—stating, “I do not like this confusion between religion and politics.” He nonetheless condemned antisemitism, affirmed Israel’s right to exist, and urged distinguishing government criticism from relations with Jewish people.
When pressed on internal Church controversies, such as Germany’s Synodal Way or liturgical disputes, Pizzaballa responded with detachment, framing them as largely Western concerns irrelevant to his flock. He dismissed fears of schism from the German process, noting such issues “periodically come [up]. As they come, they go.” On liturgy, he emphasized obedience: “The liturgy is not a private possession… So what the Church says, we have to apply.”
Praising Pope Leo XIV as “a very peaceful person” with “clear ideas” who is “very free,” Pizzaballa highlighted existing Catholic-Orthodox unity in the Holy Land through mixed families and communities. Broader ecumenical progress, he suggested, requires organic growth rather than top-down imposition.
A Franciscan who arrived in the Holy Land at age 25 and has served there for 35 years, Pizzaballa credited the region with reshaping his faith. He issued a strong call for resuming Christian pilgrimages, describing them as vital for encountering Jesus’ historical presence while supporting local families economically.
For lasting peace, he invoked St. John Paul II’s post-9/11 message: “There is no peace without justice and no justice without forgiveness.” Forgiveness, he clarified, breaks cycles of revenge without excusing evil. Echoing Pope Leo XIV, Pizzaballa endorsed a two-state solution, recognizing Palestinians’ rights to land and self-determination.
Though skeptical of current leadership on both sides, the patriarch draws hope from local Christians—priests, religious, youth, and elderly—who continue witnessing through love and service amid war.
“This is what gives me hope,” he said, “to see that, despite everything, there are people… ready to commit themselves to do something for others out of love.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from NCR
