Pope Leo XIV remains in close contact with Holy Family Parish in Gaza

 

The facade of Holy Family Church in Gaza, following the attack in July 

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Pope assures Gaza parish of his closeness and prayers

Pope Leo XIV speaks by phone with Father Gabriel Romanelli, pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, and assures all those who turn to the parish of his concern, closeness, and prayers.

By Salvatore Cernuzio

Pope Leo XIV received an update on the situation at the Holy Family Parish in Gaza during a phone call with the pastor, Fr Gabriel Romanelli, on Tuesday.

Overnight, just an hour before midnight, the Israeli army launched a massive ground offensive, with media in the Gaza Strip reporting 37 attacks in 20 minutes, and a mass flight of the remaining population from the northwestern area of the enclave.

According to the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, Fr. Romanelli told the Holy Father that the parish—which was struck in June by an Israeli raid in which the pastor himself was injured— “continues to assist the approximately 450 people who have taken refuge there and those who turn to them, distributing meals and water and keeping the internal pharmacy open.”

Moreover, “the oratory also continues its activities, serving children and young people and providing assistance to the elderly and sick, despite the escalating conflict.”

Mr. Bruni told reporters that Pope Leo expressed his concern for what is happening in Gaza, “and assured Father Gabriel, and all those who turn to the parish, of his closeness and prayers.”

Read also

10/09/2025

Fr. Romanelli in Gaza: ‘It was a blessing to speak with the Pope'

Last week’s phone call

After the outbreak of war in the Middle East, Pope Francis began making video calls every evening at precisely 7:00 PM to Fr. Romanelli and his vicar, Egyptian Father Youssef Asad, to check on the condition of all the people of Holy Family.

Pope Leo has also called Fr. Romanelli several times as an expression of his closeness, which goes hand in hand with his frequent appeals for peace.

The Pope’s most recent phone call to Fr. Romanelli came last week, after Israel had issued an immediate evacuation order to the inhabitants of Gaza City.

At first, the priest did not answer, as he and the parishioners were engaged in a long liturgical celebration. The Pope said he had tried to contact the parish priest but had received no news.

That evening, however, Fr. Romanelli, through his social media channels, confirmed that he had managed to speak with the Holy Father. In a video shared with Vatican News, Fr. Romanelli described the conversation as “a great joy” and “blessing.”

Prayer as bombs fall

On Monday, through his X and Instagram accounts, Fr. Romanelli released a new video in which bombings can be heard as a liturgy was taking place in the parish.

Throughout the 30-second video, the faithful continued to pray in silence, despite the din of the surrounding environment.

Catholics from Holy Family Church and parish clergy and staff among those told to evacuate in Gaza

 

A view of the destruction in Gaza City  (AFP or licensors)

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Fr. Romanelli: Evacuation order issued for Gaza parish neighborhood

Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest of the Holy Family Church in Gaza, says “an evacuation order has been issued for the entire neighborhood,” as Israel advances a plan to relocate Palestinians.

By Vatican News

“An evacuation order has been issued for the entire neighborhood. And they said they're starting to distribute tents,” Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest of the Holy Family Church, the only Catholic Church in Gaza, told the Italian press agency ANSA on August 18.

His statement came as Israeli forces advanced plans to relocate thousands of Palestinians from northern Gaza, where the parish is located, to designated zones in the south, drawing international concern over worsening humanitarian conditions.

However, he said, “where can they find the space for all the inhabitants” of the Gaza Strip, “two million three hundred thousand people?”

Fr. Romanelli said that during Mass on Sunday they “heard a very loud explosion nearby that broke a water tank,” while underlining that “luckily, nothing happened, only material damage.”

“Another Sunday of war,” the parish priest added.

Fr. Romanelli also spoke about “contradictory signs,” saying there seems to be an evacuation order in place while an “association distributed some vegetables, tomatoes, and potatoes,” which people welcomed.

The Israeli military has described the relocation plan as necessary to protect civilians as fighting continues.

Thousands of people protested in Tel Aviv over the weekend, saying this plan of action could put in danger the lives of the around 20 hostages still being held by Hamas. Hamas has also rejected the plan. 

One month since the Gaza parish was attacked

A month after the July 17 attack on the Catholic parish itself, which caused 3 deaths and several injured, including Father Romanelli, whose leg was slightly hurt, the parish priest highlighted that “the children require everything.”

On the conflict situation in general, he commented that "there is no agreement; they do not want to release the hostages, or only partially; the other side says ‘no, all together’... the only thing that is certain is that the bombs continue to cause deaths of civilians and children; the numbers are terrible.”

An update from the Catholic Pastor from Holy Family Parish in Gaza

 

Gaza pastor: ‘We remain in the hands of the Lord’

written by Gina Christian 

A Palestinian reacts as he waits to receive food from a charity kitchen amid a hunger crisis in the central Gaza Strip July 29, 2025. (OSV News photo/Hatem Khaled, Reuters)

(OSV News) — As violence and starvation deepen in Gaza, the pastor of the area’s only Catholic church told a pontifical charity, “We remain in the hands of the Lord.”

Father Gabriel Romanelli of Holy Family Parish in Gaza — who sustained a leg injury in a widely condemned July 17 Israeli strike on the church that killed three and wounded more than 10 — shared his latest thoughts in a message to Aid to the Church in Need. 

According to a July 29 ACN news article, the Argentine-born Father Romanelli told the charity that he and his community remain “deeply affected by the facts” of the July 17 attack, but “continue to do good, protecting the children, the sick and the wounded.

“Here we are, after these terrible days of war, and especially these bombings: 15 people were hit, three of them died and two are still in serious condition,” Father Romanelli told ACN.

Father Gabriel Romanelli, pastor of Holy Family Parish, receives medical attention at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City in this still image taken from a video July 17, 2025. (OSV News/Dawoud Abu Alkas, Reuters)

The priest said he was grateful for assistance provided by the agency and all those who help sustain the church in the Holy Land.

“Firstly, I want to say thank you for the prayers and friendship of Aid to the Church in Need, which fill our hearts,” said Father Romanelli. “And besides that, I know that ACN has plenty of initiatives to help the Christians in the Middle East, especially in these parts of the Holy Land, in the West Bank and in Gaza.”

Father Romanelli’s voice was “filled with hope,” said ACN. “We wait for peace. It is absolutely necessary. Once more, thank you so much for all the spiritual, moral and material help,” said Father Romanelli. “May God bless you and may the Virgin Mary protect all ACN benefactors, their families and loved ones.”

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas War, which was sparked by the latter’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, hundreds have sheltered at the Holy Family complex. 

In December 2023, a woman named Nahida and her adult daughter Samar were killed by Israeli firepower at Holy Family as they walked to the convent. In a statement at the time, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said they had been shot “in cold blood,” with “one … killed as she tried to carry the other to safety.” Seven others were wounded in that attack.

So far, more than 60,000 Palestinians have died in the Israel-Hamas war, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. Some 1,200 Israelis have been killed and more than 5,400 injured. Of the 251 Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, 50 remain in captivity, with only 20 of them believed to still be alive, with 83 of the hostages confirmed killed to date. More than 100 were released later in 2023; eight were rescued by Israeli forces. 

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC — a measurement initiative by a global consortium of food security organizations and agencies, including Catholic Relief Services — has warned that Gaza is at risk of famine, with both serious and critical levels of acute malnutrition throughout the densely populated region. “Increasingly stringent blockades” by Israel have “dramatically worsened” conditions, said the IPC.

Since 1947, ACN has worked under the guidance of the pope to provide pastoral and humanitarian assistance to persecuted Catholics. At present, ACN manages well over 5,000 projects in upwards of 145 countries each year. The organization also stands ready to offer aid in times of natural disaster.

Smoke rises after an explosion in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border, July 29, 2025. (OSV News photo/Amir Cohen, Reuters)

Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X @GinaJesseReina.

Israel says it was a mistake that Catholic Church hit; regrets damage

 

Israel Says Holy Family Church in Gaza Was ‘Mistakenly’ Hit, ‘Regrets’ Damage

Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh, 60; Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad, 84; and Najwa Abu Daoud, 70, were fatally wounded by shrapnel that scattered across the compound after the explosion.

A view of the damage to Holy Family Church in Gaza City following an Israeli strike on the church in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City on July 17, 2025. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said an Israeli strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church killed three and injured several people on July 17, including the parish priest, as well as causing damage to the building. (photo: Omar Al-Qattaa / AFP/Getty)

Kristina Millare/CNAWorldJuly 18, 2025

Israel said Holy Family Church in Gaza was “mistakenly” hit during a Thursday military operation and “regrets” damage done to the city’s only Catholic parish.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) shared a post on X on the evening of July 17 saying “fragments from a shell” hit the parish church, which has become a shelter for more than 500 people since the Israel-Hamas war broke out in October 2023.

“The cause of the incident is under review,” the X statement read. “The IDF directs its strikes solely at military targets and makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and religious structures, and regrets any unintentional damage caused to them.”

Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh, 60; Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad, 84; and Najwa Abu Daoud, 70, were fatally wounded by shrapnel that scattered across the compound after the explosion. 

Holy Family Church pastor Father Gabriel Romanelli, a native of Argentina and friend of the late Pope Francis, was also among those injured by the Israeli attack.

The Latin Patriarchate in a July 17 statement strongly condemned “this targeting of innocent civilians and of a sacred place,” adding that it “will continue to stand by the side of the community of Gaza” and other Christian communities in the Holy Land.

“The time has come for leaders to raise their voices and to do all [that] is necessary in order to stop this tragedy, which is humanly and morally unjustified,” the statement read. 

The attack occurred days after Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III spoke out on July 14 against “systemic and targeted” attacks against Christians by illegal Israeli settlers in the West Bank. 

“The Church has had a faithful presence in this region for nearly 2,000 years,” the Monday statement read. “We firmly reject this message of exclusion and reaffirm our commitment to a Holy Land that is a mosaic of different faiths, living peacefully together in dignity and safety.”

Pope Leo XIV to Israel's PM by phone: protect places of worship, end the war in Gaza!

 

A view of the damage to the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza 

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Pope Leo calls for ceasefire in Gaza during phone call with Israeli PM Netanyahu

In the wake of the Israeli strike on the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, Pope Leo XIV and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak by phone, with the Pope reaffirming the urgent need to protect places of worship and achieve a ceasefire.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Amid the ongoing turmoil in the Holy Land, Pope Leo XIV and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone on Friday.

The Holy Father renewed his appeal for negotiations and a ceasefire in Gaza, according to the Holy See Press Office.

"This morning, in his residence at Castel Gandolfo, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV spoke by telephone with His Excellency Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, following yesterday’s military attack by the Israeli army that struck the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza, killing three people and injuring others, including some seriously," said the Press Office in a statement.

"During the conversation," it noted, "the Holy Father repeated his appeal for a renewed push for negotiations, a ceasefire and an end to the war."

Read also

18/07/2025

Pope calls Patriarch Pizzaballa to express closeness after Gaza parish attack

17/07/2025

Pope renews call for ceasefire in Gaza after attack on Catholic parish

Moreover, it added, Pope Leo "again expressed his concern about the tragic humanitarian situation of the population in Gaza, whose children, elderly, and sick are paying an agonizing price."

"Finally," the statement concluded, "the Holy Father reiterated the urgent need to protect places of worship and, especially, the faithful and all people in Palestine and Israel."

The Holy Family Church, the only Catholic Church in Gaza, was struck by Israel on Thursday morning, resulting in three deaths and 10 injuries, including the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli.

In a statement, the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem appealed to leaders "to raise their voices and to do all that is necessary in order to stop this tragedy, which is humanly and morally unjustified."

Pope Leo again calls for ceasefire after the Catholic Church in Gaza was attacked

 

A view of the damage to the Holy Family Church following an Israeli strike on the only Catholic parish in Gaza  (AFP or licensors)

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Pope renews call for ceasefire in Gaza after attack on Catholic parish

Pope Leo XIV sends a telegram of closeness to the people of the Holy Family Catholic Parish in Gaza after an attack by Israeli troops in which two people were killed and several others seriously injured.

By Francesca Merlo 

Pope Leo XIV has renewed his calls for “an immediate ceasefire” in Gaza following a military attack on the Holy Family Catholic Parish.

In a telegram signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State on his behalf, the Holy Father expressed deep sorrow for the loss of life and for the injuries caused by the attack.

He also conveyed his spiritual closeness to the parish priest, Fr. Gabriel Romanelli—who was injured during the attack—as well as to the entire parish community.

Read also

17/07/2025

Israeli forces strike Catholic Parish in Gaza

The Pope commended the souls of the deceased to the “loving mercy of Almighty God” and offered prayers for the recovery of the injured and the consolation of those who grieve.

Finally, he renewed his appeal for peace and for a ceasefire, and expressed his "profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation, and enduring peace in the region.”

Over 60,200 people (58,313 Palestinians and 1,983 Israelis) have been reported killed in the Gaza war, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, since 7 October 2023.

Why is an Israeli tank attacking a Catholic Church in Gaza? 2 dead, several injured including the Pastor

 

The Holy Family Parish in Gaza  (AFP or licensors)

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Israeli forces strike Catholic Parish in Gaza

The Holy Family Church, the only Catholic Church in Gaza, was struck by a raid this morning resulting in several injuries including the Parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli.

By Vatican News

The Holy Family Church, the only Catholic Church in the Gaza Strip, was hit by a tank this morning, seriously injuring four people. Others were reportedly wounded more lightly, including the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli. Two people have since died from their injuries. 

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, earlier spoke to Vatican News:

“What we know for sure is that a tank, the IDF says by mistake, but we are not sure about this, they hit the Church directly, the Church of the Holy Family, the Latin Church”, he said. “There are four people seriously wounded, among these four, two are in very dramatic conditions and their lives are in serious danger”.

“There are also other injured but less problematic, among them also the Parish Priest, because they were all in the Church”.

“We don’t have complete information about what has happened in Gaza today because the communication in Gaza is not that simple”, he explained, adding he will try to get more information as soon as possible.

Father Gabriel Romanelli being treated for his light injuries

We will never leave them alone

Speaking in Italian to Vatican News, Cardinal Pizzaballa expressed his closeness to those affected in Gaza: "We always try to reach Gaza in all possible ways, directly and indirectly. Now it's too early to talk about all this, we need to understand what happened, what should be done, especially to protect our people, and of course try to make sure that these things don't happen anymore. Then we will see how to continue, but certainly we will never leave them alone."

Earlier, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem had posted a press release on X confirming the Church was “struck by a raid”.  The statement said there are “no fatalities confirmed” at the moment, but the Church has sustained damage.

According to the Catholic press agency SIR, the Holy Family Church is currently hosting around 500 displaced Christians.