Fears mount for Christians in Gaza
Fears are mounting over the future of Christians in Gaza following an outbreak of war between Israel and the terror group Hamas, with one Catholic leader saying he was worried the community will vanish completely. Franciscan Fr Francesco Patton, the Custos of the Holy Land, said Palestinian Christians would be doing their utmost to escape The post Fears mount for Christians in Gaza appeared first on Catholic Herald.
Syndicated News 
Fears are mounting over the future of Christians in Gaza following an outbreak of war between Israel and the terror group Hamas, with one Catholic leader saying he was worried the community will vanish completely.
Franciscan Fr Francesco Patton, the Custos of the Holy Land, said Palestinian Christians would be doing their utmost to escape the Palestinian territory amid hundreds of rocket attacks and an imminent ground invasion by Israeli forces following the biggest slaughter of civilians in the history of the Jewish state by terrorists on Saturday.
He said: “The Christian population is always a peaceful population and the risk when there are conflicts, confrontations and war, is that the Christian population is the first victim after every war. Some of the members of our communities leave the country.
“Particularly in Gaza, where the Christian community is a very small community, I fear that because of the war, the risk is that the Christian community in Gaza will disappear,” he told L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper.
“I hope not, but it is very dangerous for the Christians to remain in Gaza since now the information that we have are that the Christians are safe in this moment, but we don’t know the evolution during the next days.”
He said: “The situation in the Old City in this moment is something surreal, because there are no people in the streets, only police checking the situation.
“It seems to be back to the time of the pandemic in the southern part of the country. It seems to be back to the time of the pandemic in the southern part of the country.”
An invasion of Israel on Saturday left 1,200 Israelis dead, including 40 children slaughtered at one site alone, including babies who were decapitated or had their throats cut, and 2,700 other injured. Seventeen British citizens are missing and feared dead.
Hamas launched a surprise attack on the southern part of the country as Jews marked the feast of Simchat Torah, or “joy of the Torah”, and butchered about 260 young people who were attending an outdoor music festival.
In fighting that followed 1,500 terrorists were killed while 1,055 other Palestinians have since died in Israeli air raids which have also left 5,100 people injured. Israel announced a “complete siege” on Gaza, and shut off access to electricity, food, water, and gas.
Thousands more will inevitably die in the huge and imminent land offensive on Gaza which one Israeli Defence Force commander said would reduce the strip to a “tent city”.
Pope Francis used his general audience to today plead for peace, noting at the same time that Israel has the right to defend itself. He also asked for the release of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas.
“I pray for those families who have seen a day of celebration turned into a day of mourning and ask for the immediate release of the hostages,” he said.
The Pope said that while “it is the right of those who are attacked to defend themselves”, he remained deeply concerned by the “total siege facing the Palestinians in Gaza, where there have also been many innocent victims”.
The Holy Father said: “Terrorism and extremism do not help to reach a solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, but fuel hatred, violence, and revenge, causing suffering to both sides.”
He added: “The Middle East does not need war but peace, a peace built on justice, dialogue, and the courage of fraternity.”
Gaza parish priest Fr Gabriel Romanelli, who is in Bethlehem, meanwhile revealed that he has received two calls from Pope Francis inquiring about the plight of Palestinian Christians in the besieged strip.
The Pope, he said, “wanted to show his closeness, and now he was going to call the community directly with my vicar helping people who are refugees in the parish”.
The Gaza parish is home to about 150 people who have lost their homes or are seeking a safe place from the bombardments, the Italian-born priest told Vatican News. He said there have not yet been any reports of deaths among the Christian community.
The Pope also imparted his “blessing so that everyone may experience the closeness of the Church”, he said.
Speaking separately to La Nación, Fr Romanelli said: “We anticipated that something could happen, since in May we had a five-day war.”
He said: “We suspected that something was going to happen, more by way of experience, more because of what’s in the air, in the environment. I never imagined something like this.”
Fr Romanelli said he hoped a truce would soon be called so that a humanitarian corridor can be opened to help the victims of the conflict.
Cardinal Nichols said: “Having visited Gaza on two occasions, my heart goes out to its people who will now bear the consequences of the attack on Israel by Hamas militants.
“Violence is never a solution. Retribution is never a contribution to peace. Please pray today for that peace. Pray for all who have lost their lives and for the immediate release of those taken hostage.
“Pray especially for the small but active Catholic community in Gaza City who at this moment will be reaching out courageously to their neighbours, trying to offer shelter and support.”
(Palestinian Christians at the Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City | Photo by MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images)
The post Fears mount for Christians in Gaza appeared first on Catholic Herald.
