One day after returning from the Gaza Strip, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa met with journalists in Jerusalem to share what he had witnessed: a population exhausted by more than two years of war, yet animated by a quiet determination to live again. It was his second visit to Gaza in six months — and the first since the ceasefire.
The scale of destruction remains overwhelming. Roughly 80% of Gaza’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, the Cardinal said, according to Vatican News. Many structures still standing are unsafe or barely habitable.
Even so, a small number of families have returned to their homes. Around 400 people are currently sheltering on the grounds of the Holy Family parish, led by Father Gabriel Romanelli, while the majority continue to live in tents.
“It is cold — I felt cold — so think of the children,” the Patriarch said, drawing attention to the most vulnerable. His concern for children surfaced repeatedly throughout his remarks. “The number of children in the streets struck me. They should be in school.”
Restarting education, he stressed, will be one of the priorities of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
Despite shuttered shops and a paralyzed economy, Cardinal Pizzaballa observed signs of resilience. Small stalls have appeared inside tents, offering fruit and vegetables.
“The situation of famine is behind us,” he noted, while acknowledging that most families have no income and remain dependent on humanitarian aid, which is only now beginning to arrive in sufficient quantities.
The economic outlook, however, is dire. Work has vanished, savings are gone, and reconstruction has yet to begin. “The war has stopped, but the conflict is still present,” the Cardinal told Vatican News, pointing not only to Gaza but also to rising tensions in the West Bank.
In such a context, speaking of hope can seem unrealistic — yet, he insisted, it is precisely the Church’s responsibility during the Christmas season.
That hope, he explained, is not abstract. Christian communities, though deeply tired, celebrated Christmas. What struck him most during his visit was the children’s energy. The children, he said, were “full of joy, full of life … they will save our communities.”
Looking ahead, the Patriarch emphasized that rebuilding will require patience and honesty. “We cannot ignore what has happened, nor believe that peace will arrive tomorrow,” he said. “But we must move from opposition to something constructive.”
The needs are urgent. Medicines are scarce. Hospitals and clinics have been badly damaged, and medical equipment must be brought in. The Church, Cardinal Pizzaballa said, intends to respond both materially and spiritually. “We must remain Church,” he explained—meaning close accompaniment, pastoral care, and a commitment to dignity amid loss.
His conclusion was direct and resolute. “We will do everything possible to bring stability back to Gaza,” he said, “and wherever we can, we must be the voice of the poor and of all those who suffer because of war.”
