Call for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza: “This Cannot Continue”—Pope Leo Provost after Church Strike

Call for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza: “This Cannot Continue”—Pope Leo Provost after Church Strike

[Vatican City, July 17, 2025] — 

The Pope’s message was conveyed through a telegram signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The telegram stated that the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza, where over 500 Muslim and Christian Palestinian civilians had taken refuge since the start of the war, was struck by Israeli forces.

Pope Leo expressed deep sorrow over the attack, saying he was “profoundly saddened by the assault on this parish” and reaffirmed his “strong hope for dialogue, reconciliation, and lasting peace.”

Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest, was injured in the attack and is currently receiving treatment for a leg wound at Gaza’s Al-Ahli Hospital. In his message, the Pope offered spiritual support to Father Romanelli, saying, “I stand with you, offering heartfelt sympathy and prayers for the entire parish community.”

The Pope further added, “I entrust the souls of the deceased to the mercy of Almighty God,” and prayed for comfort for the grieving and speedy recovery for the wounded.

The Church of the Holy Family is Gaza’s only Catholic church and has been sheltering war-displaced Christians and Muslims since October 2023.

This is not the first time a place of worship has been hit by Israeli airstrikes. Earlier, Gaza’s Baptist Church and the Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church—one of the oldest churches in the world—were also attacked.

Since October 2023, Israel has continued its relentless offensive in Gaza, ignoring repeated international calls for a ceasefire. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, nearly 58,600 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict so far, the majority of them women and children.

In November last year, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.