Cardinal Pizzaballa urges peace in Iran and Gaza, highlighting humanity’s shared longing for life, dignity, and justice amid ongoing regional upheaval.
Newsroom (13/01/2026 Gaudium Press ) In a world riven by tension and division, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, has offered a call to conscience and compassion. Speaking to Vatican News in Jordan on January 13, the Cardinal reflected on the “desire for life, dignity, and justice inside the heart of any human being.” His words came as anti-government unrest in Iran and continuing devastation in Gaza cast long shadows over the Middle East.
A Plea for Peace in Iran
Addressing the situation in Iran, where protests over economic hardship have cost hundreds of lives since late December, Cardinal Pizzaballa expressed hope that the turmoil will not spiral further into “violence and bloodshed.” The suffering of the Iranian people, he said, cannot be ignored. “No one can deny or neglect this desire for life, dignity, and justice,” he added, describing it as an inseparable part of human and communal identity.
The Patriarch’s commitment to peace was delivered during a multi-day meeting in Jordan that brought together nearly 60 priests and bishops of the Latin Patriarchate—an event held every few years to review the state of parishes scattered across several countries.
Witnessing Devastation in Gaza
Turning to the Gaza Strip, Cardinal Pizzaballa lamented the ongoing “total devastation.” Despite the declared ceasefire in October, he reported that targeted Israeli strikes continue to destroy lives and infrastructure. Visiting Gaza in December, he saw firsthand how “people keep dying, not only because of the cold, but also because of a lack of medicines,” including essential antibiotics. The humanitarian toll remains immense as winter deepens and medical supplies dwindle.
In the West Bank, daily hardships persist. Denied permits, restricted movement, and increasing settler violence have disrupted “the most basic things of the community,” he observed, underscoring the corrosive effects of occupation on social cohesion and hope.
Jordan’s Role and Resilience
While Jordan has remained relatively stable, it has not escaped the regional crisis. “The conflict doesn’t affect Jordan directly, but indirectly yes,” Cardinal Pizzaballa noted, citing economic and emotional connections. The kingdom continues to provide medical care for wounded Gazans and houses a significant part of the Latin Patriarchate’s mission. With 30 schools across the largely Muslim nation, the Church fosters educational and interfaith bonds that form “an important part of our identity.”
Still, internal migration poses challenges to Church life and pastoral care. The shifting population, the Cardinal said, requires constant adaptation and renewed presence “where our community is moving and creating new contexts of life.”
Faith, Pilgrimage, and the Power of Place
Even amid crisis, Cardinal Pizzaballa’s message remains grounded in faith and hope. He urged believers to resume pilgrimages to the Holy Land, describing it as “absolutely safe” and spiritually transformative. “The Holy Land is a fifth Gospel,” he said, “a kind of eighth sacrament” that allows Christians to experience the presence of Christ in a tangible way. While faith can thrive anywhere, he reflected, visiting the land of Jesus makes that faith “stronger and more concrete.”
A Church Seeking Renewal
Finally, the Cardinal commented on the Extraordinary Consistory convened in Rome by Pope Leo XIV earlier in the month. The gathering of cardinals focused on themes of synodality and mission—an opportunity, Pizzaballa said, “to open a new journey of reciprocal sharing about ourselves, about the Church, about the future of the Church.”
His words resonate as both a plea and a promise: a plea to end cycles of violence in the Middle East, and a promise that the Church will continue seeking dialogue, unity, and peace anchored in the dignity of every person.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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