Gaza updates News from the Christian community in Gaza Cardinal Pizzaballa accepts peace prize on behalf of Fr Gabriel On October 15, 2025, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, accepted the Achille Silvestrini International Prize for Dialogue and Peace in Rome, on behalf of Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, and the clergy who were honoured for their steadfast witness amid war. Read the interview with Cardinal Pizzaballa as he accepted the prize in Jerusalem Fr Gabriel and community refuse to leave the church The parish priest of the Holy Family Latin Church in Gaza, Father Gabriel Romanelli, has confirmed that the church is sheltering 450 displaced people, including the elderly, sick, and children. He stressed they will not leave the church despite the “evacuation orders” issued by the Israeli occupation forces to the city’s residents. Read the article here Fr Gabriel: "Most people don't want to leave" Read more here Bishop Hudson: Gaza needs prayer and action now more than ever Bishop Nicholas Hudson, Chair of the International Affairs department of the Bishops’ Conference, has added his voice to those of Pope Leo, the Patriarchs of Jerusalem, and Caritas Internationalis on the situation in Gaza. Read the full article from the CBCEW here A Call to Prayer and Public Witness for Peace in the Holy Land We are witnessing the devastating escalation of violence in Gaza and the West Bank with Israel’s latest decision to mount a new offensive in Gaza City threatening hundreds of thousands with further forced displacement. The cries of Palestinian church leaders for peace and solidarity have echoed across the global Church, urging us to respond with clarity, compassion, and conviction. We believe the gravity of this moment demands a visible, united Christian witness—one that speaks to our shared commitment to peace, reconciliation, and the dignity of all people. In response we are calling on Christians across Britain to pray for peace on Sunday 21st September, coinciding with UN World Peace Day and the global call to prayer from the World Council of Churches. You can find examples of how to join in with this on our prayer page. Click here to read the LPJ joint statement by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem Fr. Romanelli: Gazan Christians remain with those who suffer As Pope Leo XIV appeals for peace in Gaza, Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest of the only Catholic parish in Gaza, tells Vatican News that Christians in the enclave are committed to serving those in need, asking people to pray for an end to the war. The parish priest and the other religious of the Holy Family Catholic Church in the Gaza Strip have chosen to continue “serving those in need—the elderly, the sick.” Speaking to Vatican News, Fr. Gabriel Romanelli said, “We are in the Lord’s hands, and we trust that, with the help of many good people around the world, this will stop.” Everyone gathered at the only Catholic parish in Gaza “are here for Jesus Christ, to serve Him in the Eucharist, and we serve Him in the person of the poor and the sick, of those who suffer,” said the Argentinian-born priest. Read the full story by Francesca Sabatinelli here Pope Leo joins Jerusalem Patriarchs’ call for peace in Gaza Pope Leo XIV has united his voice to the Latin and Greek Orthodox Patriarchs’ joint appeal for an end to the war in Gaza and for humanitarian aid to flow freely into the enclave. The Latin and Greek Orthodox Patriarchs of Jerusalem released a joint appeal for peace in Gaza on Tuesday, August 26, saying there is no reason to justify “the deliberate and forcible mass displacement of civilians.” Click here for the full Vatican News Article by Devan Watkins Attack on the Church of the Holy Family On 17th July, the Latin Church of the Holy Family was struck by the Israeli army and three people lost their lives and a number of people were injured, including the parish priest, Fr Gabriel Romanelli. Read the news article on Vatican News. Fr Gabriel has spoken to Vatican News and shared the following: "As you know, two days ago, an explosion hit the front of our church, the Church of the Holy Family. That cross you see is nearly two meters tall, so it's large, and the shrapnel, not only the shrapnel, but also the rocks fell on two elderly women who were under the church in a tent, and they died. The metal fragments injured many others. There were fifteen wounded, three of whom have died. The doorman, Saad, died, along with the two elderly women, Foumia and Najwa." To read the full article, click here On Friday, July 18, 2025, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, paid a joint solidarity visit to Gaza. You can read about the visit from the Latin Patriarchate here. You can also read the homily from Cardinal Pizzaballa here The two Patriarchs held a joint press conference on their visit to Gaza. Read about the press conference, including the full speeches given by each of the Patriarchs plus the speech by Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan. The conference opened with a video prepared by the Latin Patriarchate’s Media Office, featuring real scenes from Gaza that illustrated the severe humanitarian suffering and the vast destruction left by the war: YouTube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD0UGzM1w60 Read two articles about the Cardinal's response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza following his visit there. From the Guardian: Cardinal calls Israel’s policy in Gaza ‘morally unjustifiable’ after visit From The Catholic Herald: Cardinal Pizzaballa says war in Gaza is ‘inexcusable’ HB Cardinal Pizzaballa has highlighted how he and Greek Orthodox patriarch Theophilos III, in a show of cross-denominational solidarity after the attack on the Holy Family Church, had experienced the reality in Gaza during their visit, while also saying that Jesus is there in Gaza and can be found “crucified in the wounded, buried under rubble and yet present in every act of mercy, every candle in the darkness, every hand extended to the suffering”. Read the article here. The Archbishop of York, together with the Bishops of Southwark, Gloucester, Chelmsford and Norwich, respond to the Prime Minister’s announcement on the possibility of recognising a Palestinian state. They write: "The prospect of the United Kingdom recognising Palestinian statehood is welcome, overdue, and cannot come soon enough. As settlement expansion continues in the West Bank, the UK must recognise Palestine while there is still land on which a state could be recognised. The UK has a particular historical and moral duty to recognise the State of Palestine, and it is therefore disappointing that this recognition has been made conditional. The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination is not a bargaining chip, and there can be no conditions placed on it. We urge the Government to move ahead with recognition of Palestine regardless of the facts on the ground." Read the full statement here Manage Cookie Preferences