ROME – Roughly twenty-four hours after Pope Francis publicly charged that Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Rite Patriarch of Jerusalem, had been denied entry into the Gaza Strip, Pizzaballa made a often scheduled Christmas go to to the lone Catholic parish in Gaza, saying Mass and celebrating a handful of confirmations and first communions.
Pope Francis’s feedback got here in impromptu remarks at first of his conventional end-of-the-year deal with to members of the Roman Curia.
“Yesterday,” the pope stated, “the patriarch was not allowed to enter Gaza as that they had promised,” referring to Israeli authorities.
That declare introduced a swift denial from the Israeli Embassy to the Holy See, which posted an announcement on the social media platform X.
“Contrary to false allegations printed within the media at present, the request made by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, to enter Gaza was granted, as has been the case previously and in line with his desire,” it stated.
(The allusion to media accounts was to press protection of the pope’s remark to the curia earlier within the day.)
On Sunday, the embassy posted footage of Pizzaballa’s delegation passing by a checkpoint on the Erez Crossing positioned on the northern finish of the Gaza Strip. It additionally famous that final Thursday, humanitarian help was delivered to the Christian group in Gaza on behalf of the Patriarch’s delegation.
“The State of Israel takes steps in cooperation with the Christian group to be able to ease circumstances for the Christian inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, together with coordination of exits from the Gaza Strip to 3rd international locations,” the Dec. 22 publish stated.
The confusion over Pizzaballa was not the one factor of the pontiff’s rhetoric on Gaza Saturday which proved controversial.
Noting that the day earlier than, Israeli airstrikes killed an estimated 25 Palestinians, together with seven kids, Pope Francis stated, “This shouldn’t be struggle. This is cruelty. … I need to say this, as a result of it touches my coronary heart.”
That comment, too, introduced a vigorous protest from Israeli officers, on this case from the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
“Cruelty is terrorists hiding behind kids whereas attempting to homicide Israeli kids; cruelty is holding 100 hostages for 442 days, together with a child and kids, by terrorists and abusing them,” the Foreign Ministry stated in an announcement.
“Unfortunately, the Pope has chosen to disregard all of this, in addition to the truth that Israel’s actions have focused terrorists who used kids as human shields. The Pope’s remarks are significantly disappointing as they’re disconnected from the true and factual context of Israel’s battle towards jihadist terrorism — a multi-front struggle that was compelled upon it beginning on October 7,” it stated.
“The dying of any harmless individual in a struggle is a tragedy,” the assertion stated. “Israel makes extraordinary efforts to stop hurt to innocents, whereas Hamas makes extraordinary efforts to extend hurt to Palestinian civilians. The blame needs to be directed solely on the terrorists, not on the democracy defending itself towards them.”
“Enough with the double requirements and the singling out of the Jewish state and its individuals,” it stated.
The confrontation was the newest entrance in steadily mounting tensions in Israeli-Vatican relations, in addition to Jewish-Catholic relations, for the reason that starting of the Gaza battle.
Just days in the past, Israeli media shops and Jewish leaders alike objected when a Nativity Set erected within the Vatican’s Audience Hall, introduced to the pontiff as a present from the town of Bethlehem, confirmed the toddler Jesus resting on a keffiyeh, a checkered black-and-white scarf that’s extensively often known as an emblem of Palestinian resistance.
The scene with the keffiyeh was shortly eliminated, however not earlier than photos of Francis in a wheelchair gazing upon the tableau had already made the rounds.
As for Pizzaballa, he tried to deliver a message of hope to the beleaguered Catholic group in Gaza, in a homily which was streamed stay on Facebook.
“You should not lose hope, as a result of Christmas is the pageant of hope, as a result of the sunshine of Christ is with you,” he stated. “Sooner or later, the struggle will finish. When it does, we’ll rebuild every little thing, your colleges, your hospitals, your properties.”
“You can ensure that we’ll by no means depart you alone, and we’ll do every little thing we will to assist you,” Pizzaballa stated. “You should stay resilient, and stuffed with power.”
Pizzaballa arrived in Gaza in a caravan of autos carrying the emblem of Caritas Jerusalem and flying the Vatican flag. Roughly 500 Christians have taken refuge within the Catholic parish of the Holy Family in Gaza City, whereas one other 200 are sheltering in a Greek Orthodox church.
Pizzaballa then left Gaza to make his approach to Bethlehem, the place he’ll have fun the standard liturgy of Christmas eve on Tuesday.
