Pizzaballa underscored the unique significance of the Holy Land, the cradle of Christianity where Mary accepted God’s will, yet this sacred land also seems to be a battleground for “the highest manifestation of Satan’s power.”
Newsroom (19/08/2025, Gaudium Press)In a powerful homily delivered during the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, addressed the escalating violence in the Holy Land, particularly the ongoing war in Gaza, calling for genuine words of peace over “sugarcoated and abstract” rhetoric.
Speaking from the Benedictine Monastery of Abu Gosh in Israel, the cardinal, whose diocese spans Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank, reflected on the profound toll of the conflict that has devastated the Gaza Strip over the past two years. “While everyone wants an end to the conflict, its end will not mark the end of hostilities and the pain they will cause,” he said, warning that the desire for revenge will linger and the war’s consequences will haunt the region for years.
Pizzaballa underscored the unique significance of the Holy Land, the cradle of Christianity where Mary accepted God’s will and Christ was born and resurrected. Yet, he noted, this sacred land also seems to be a battleground for “the highest manifestation of Satan’s power.” Quoting the Book of Revelation, he described the dragon with “seven heads and 10 diadems” as a symbol of evil’s persistent force, particularly targeting those who uphold God’s commandments and bear witness to Jesus.
Despite this, the cardinal emphasized that evil’s power is not absolute. The Assumption of Mary, he said, serves as a reminder that “there is someone before whom evil is powerless.” He highlighted the triumph of life and love, embodied in Mary’s motherhood, as a force the dragon cannot overcome. “The Church is called to plant a seed of life in the world,” he declared, positioning believers as bearers of hope against the persistence of evil.
Pizzaballa acknowledged the enduring presence of evil in the world but urged Christians to persevere, knowing that “the dragon will continue to rage through history.” He pointed to the redemptive power of Christ’s sacrifice, noting that the blood shed in violence “flows under the altar, mingled with the blood of the Lamb,” uniting believers in the work of salvation.
The patriarch concluded with a message of hope, rooted in the Assumption’s promise of Christ’s victory over death. “Our life, however much it may be turned upside down by the dramatic events of today, is nevertheless the place where the dragon will not prevail,” he affirmed, encouraging the faithful to carry forward the certainty of God’s infinite love.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA
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