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The apparent Holy Family church steeple sticking up from rubble in Gaza following the attack.
Holy Family Church
Middle East cardinal visits and brings aid to Gaza's Catholic church day after Israeli attack
The Israeli PM said it ‘deeply regrets’ that a ‘stray ammunition’ hit Gaza’s only Catholic church.
LAST UPDATE | 18 Jul 2025
A CARDINAL BASED in the Middle East has visited the only Catholic church in Gaza, which was serving as a safe sanctuary for Christians and Muslims, one day after three people were killed following an Israeli attack on the parish.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, also brought with tonnes of food aid, first aid kits and medical equipment for the Holy Family Church community and other families in need.
زيارة تضامنية تاريخية لغبطة الكاردينال بيتسابالا وغبطة البطريرك ثيوفيلوس الثالث إلى كنيسة العائلة المقدسة في غزة
— Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem (@LPJerusalem) July 18, 2025
Historic Solidarity Visit of Cardinal Pizzaballa and Patriarch Theophilos III to the Holy Family Church in Gaza pic.twitter.com/C7EBm2atyl
Extensive damage has been caused to the church and the attack resulted in dozens being injured, including the parish priest Fr Gabriel Romanelli – who the late Pope Francis used to call every day before his death.
Pope Leo XIV has today spoken with Pizzaballa. They have both strongly condemned Israel’s attack and called for an immediate ceasefire between is the Israeli defence forces and militant group Hamas in Gaza.
The pontiff also spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the phone this morning.
Pope Leo XIV is said to have “repeated his appeal for a renewed push for negotiations, a ceasefire and an end to the war”.
“He again expressed his concern about the tragic humanitarian situation for the population of Gaza, whose children, elderly and sick are paying an agonising price,” said the Holy See press office.
‘Wrong and deeply disturbing’
Netanyahu said an investigation into the incident is underway, adding: “Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza’s Holy Family Church.”
Catholic media outlet The Pillar reports that a tank was allegedly involved in the attack, and reporters in Gaza have reported that a drone strike had also taken place. Cardinal Pizzaballa told the Pillar that he is “not sure” whether the attack was entirely accidental.
Leo yesterday expressed “deep sorrow for the loss of life and injuries caused by the attack”. He also expressed “spiritual closeness” to Fr Romanelli and to the entire parish community.
In a statement to The Journal, the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference’s Council for Migrants, Refugees and Justice and Peace said: “The attack in this holy place of hope and solidarity, where so many were sheltering from the horrors of war, is profoundly wrong and deeply disturbing.”
“We pray for all the members of the Holy Family Parish community and for all the people of Gaza at this time,” it added. “Moreover, we pray for peace in this troubled land; that love will replace hatred, and that dialogue will replace and silence the weapons of war.”
Archbishop Eamon Martin said he was “profoundly sad to hear” that the church in Gaza had been struck. He said those in the Catholic church were “keeping everyone in Gaza in our prayers”.
Over 600 people, both Christians and Muslims, were seeking shelter from Israel’s war on Gaza in the parish, within its church and school. The attack happened yesterday morning at 10.20am local time (8.20am Irish time).
The late Pope Francis had been in daily contact with the Holy Family Church since 9 October 2023, two days after the bombings began in Gaza. He continued to hold these calls during his extensive hospitalisation prior to his death in April.
The late pontiff described the parish community as “very courageous” and used his final public address to call for an end to the “deplorable humanitarian situation’ in Gaza. Francis also described some of Israel’s actions in Gaza as “terrorism” in his memoir.
Israel’s retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 58,573 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in Gaza.
With reporting by Diarmuid Pepper
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