Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest Church of the Holy Family in Gaza joins Pope Leo XIV’s global call for a day of fasting and prayer for peace coinciding with the Church’s commemoration of Mary, Queen of Peace.
Newsroom (22/08/2025, Gaudium Press ) “The entire Gaza Strip is dangerous, but Gaza City is even more so,” writes Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest of the Latin Church of the Holy Family in Gaza, in a social media post on August 21, reflecting on the intensifying conflict between Israel and Hamas. As the war enters what he describes as a “new and terrible phase,” the Christian community in Gaza joins Pope Leo XIV’s global call for a day of fasting and prayer for peace today, coinciding with the Church’s commemoration of Mary, Queen of Peace.
Fr. Romanelli, an Argentine priest of the Incarnate Word, reports “constant bombardments” shaking the region, with explosions in the El Zeytoun and Shujaiah neighborhoods, roughly 500 meters from his parish. “Shrapnel falls frequently,” he notes, underscoring the dire circumstances for civilians. While the parish, currently sheltering 450 Christian refugees, has not yet received an evacuation order, the priest emphasizes the “urgent needs of all kinds” facing Gaza’s civilian population.
The Israeli military’s ongoing Operation “Gideon’s Chariots 2” aims for complete control of Gaza and the defeat of Hamas, amid growing domestic protests in Israel over the fate of hostages. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz reiterated the government’s resolve today, stating, “The gates of hell will soon open over Hamas” if the group does not capitulate. He warned that Gaza City could face the same devastation as Rafah and Beit Hanoun, cities already reduced to rubble by Israeli bombardments. Recent data from the Israeli military indicates that 83 percent of those killed in Gaza are civilians, with only 17 percent identified as fighters.
In response to Pope Leo XIV’s appeal on August 20 for a day of fasting and prayer, Gaza’s Christian community has united in solidarity. During his Wednesday general audience, the pontiff called for prayers to “grant us peace and justice” and to “dry the tears of those who suffer” from conflicts in the Holy Land, Ukraine, and beyond. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, expressed gratitude for the Pope’s “constant attention” and stressed that prayer and fasting are the community’s primary means of resilience. “Their strength to resist, to help everyone despite everything, to bring food, to distribute medicine—this strength comes precisely from prayer and from their being together,” he told Vatican media.
The Custos of the Holy Land, Brother Francesco Ielpo, echoed this sentiment in a letter, urging prayer in the region’s sanctuaries “for all the victims of every war, whether near or far.” Meanwhile, Fr. Romanelli describes efforts to sustain the community, including small music and singing groups and support for the sick, aided by the Sisters of Mother Teresa. “We do what we can,” he says, as residents leave Gaza City “with the little they have left” and the local hospital operates with dwindling resources.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen. The Integrated Food Security Classification System (IFSPC) reports that 514,000 Palestinians—nearly a quarter of Gaza’s population—are currently experiencing famine, a number projected to rise to 641,000 by September’s end. Aid delivery remains severely hampered, exacerbating the enclave’s plight.
As the war persists, the Christian community’s prayers for peace resonate alongside growing international concern over the mounting civilian toll and looming famine. For now, Gaza City remains a crucible of suffering, with hope pinned on divine intervention and global calls for an end to the violence.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Asianews.it
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