The priest spoke of the profound despair gripping the community in Gaza, with daily reports of deaths piling up and no sign of peace in sight.
Newsroom (26/09/2025, Gaudium Press ) Father Gabriel Romanelli, the sole parish priest in Gaza, issued a heartfelt plea for peace in a video posted on September 23, as relentless bombings continue to devastate the region. “Everyone here is pleading for mercy: to take pity, for compassion, for them to stop this war, for them to stop shooting… for them to stop killing people, for them to stop bombing,” the Argentine priest said, his voice heavy with exhaustion and sorrow.
Romanelli, a member of the Institute of the Incarnate Word who has served in Gaza since 2005, described a grim reality of unending violence. In the video, the sounds of nearby explosions interrupt the prayers of the faithful, including a visibly frightened child. “The bombing continues, it’s very heavy and ongoing,” he said. “It sounds very loud, shrapnel and sounds come, even though some are 200, 300 meters away, 500 meters, 700 meters away… not to even imagine what it’s like for the people who are next to them or are in those places.”
The priest spoke of the profound despair gripping the community, with daily reports of deaths piling up. “There are stories that are terrible, truly terrible,” he said. “People are deeply distressed and implore God to take pity, to have mercy on everyone.” Romanelli admitted to struggling with words of comfort for those who have lost loved ones, stating, “I am speechless; we are speechless, people feel worn out. There’s no real progress.”
Expressing frustration at the lack of progress toward peace, Romanelli criticized the absence of efforts to reverse “bad decisions” or allow residents to rebuild their homes. “There has been no real progress,” he said, noting that many in Gaza are unable to return to the places where they and their ancestors were born, despite their inherent right to do so.
Amid the chaos, the parish has become a sanctuary for many seeking shelter. Romanelli recounted a recent incident where parishioners, briefly stepping outside for fresh air, were forced to rush back inside after a nearby bomb fell. Civil Defense data, he noted, paints a bleak picture, with countless lives lost and many still trapped under rubble—some injured, others unable to escape. “There are people who are not injured but cannot get out, others who are in areas where anyone who goes out on the street is a dead person,” he said.
Despite the overwhelming suffering, Romanelli expressed gratitude for the persistent calls for peace from Pope Leo XIV and Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem. He urged resilience through faith, encouraging people to “cling more to God” and pray for all—Jews, Muslims, Russians, and those without religion—emphasizing that “all have been created by God” and are called to a higher purpose.
Romanelli invoked the intercession of “Our Lady of Sorrows” to comfort those enduring unimaginable hardship, particularly those buried under debris or living in constant fear. He concluded with a call to action: “Do good to everyone, and may God in his mercy take pity on everyone and grant us an end to this war.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA
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