Cardinal Pizzaballa urges hope and unity in Holy Land amid escalating tensions, emphasizing Church’s active role and accessibility for all.
Newsroom, June 25, 2024, Gaudium Press – In an exclusive interview with ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, underscored the Catholic Church’s active yet often understated role in the Holy Land amid escalating regional tensions. “The Church is more active than people might think,” he said, noting that many initiatives operate discreetly to maximize effectiveness.
The cardinal’s remarks come in the wake of heightened violence between Iran and Israel, which has intensified the region’s complex political and humanitarian challenges. Pizzaballa emphasized the Church’s commitment to accessibility, stating, “The Church must remain open and accessible to all. This is absolutely essential. Everyone must be able to reach us; we must be a point of connection for everyone.”
Addressing political leaders, he delivered a poignant message: “The path forward does not lie in military action but in dreaming of the future and building hope for it. Force, violence, and war do not build anything. They destroy people, land, relationships, and wipe out hope in the future.”
Pizzaballa expressed concern that the suffering in Gaza and the West Bank risks being overshadowed by broader global crises. “We’ve been speaking out. Even yesterday, the pope said this war is making us forget about Gaza’s tragedy and that of the West Bank,” he noted. He stressed the need to maintain global awareness, urging continued dialogue and connection with churches worldwide to highlight the region’s complexities and the plight of the most vulnerable.
The patriarch detailed significant obstacles faced by Christian communities, particularly in accessing churches due to military checkpoints and unpredictable road closures. “The first obstacle, above all else, is the state of emergency. Transportation has become a serious issue — no one knows when roads will be open or closed,” he said. He lamented the cancellation of a planned youth pilgrimage to Rome for the jubilee, a project that required significant investment but was halted due to the crisis.
Despite these challenges, Pizzaballa highlighted the Church’s robust humanitarian efforts. “We’ve created hundreds of job opportunities, and we’re distributing food vouchers and aid. We’re present in a strong way, even in Gaza; we try to get in the essentials, despite how difficult it is,” he said.
Reflecting on his personal experience, the cardinal admitted to feeling helpless at times. “I want to do so much, to write, to visit, to be present, but not everything is possible,” he said. His primary focus remains supporting the Christian community in Gaza, which he described as “a symbol of our Christian community.” He emphasized the importance of unity, noting that geographic divisions and barriers threaten the sense of belonging essential to the Church’s mission. “How can we preserve connection and unity? Because without unity, there is no true sense of belonging,” he said.
As the Holy Land navigates ongoing strife, Cardinal Pizzaballa’s words underscore a call for hope, resilience, and solidarity, urging the global community to keep the region’s most vulnerable in focus.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA
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