Padre Gabriel Romanelli, reached by phone in the compound where he stays close to the Christian community and the refugees he cares for, expresses his gratitude to Pope Francis for his recent phone call. He describes the call as “brief but very heartfelt and appreciated. We saw him at the Angelus on Sunday, and we thanked him for his appeal for peace.” He emphasizes that true peace must be built on justice and that people cannot be treated as objects and deprived of their rights.
By: Antonella Palermo – Vatican News
Published Date:
From Gaza comes the testimony of Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest of the Holy Family, confirming Pope Francis’s solidarity with the war-stricken population. A couple of days ago, the Pope called from Casa Santa Marta, where he is recovering, to inquire about the well-being of the people. The children’s excitement and gratitude for this gesture of tenderness were evident.
Thanks to the Pope for his support
“The people were very happy to know that he was calling. When he called, we were at the door of the rectory inside the compound. The children and young people started shouting ‘Long live the Pope’ in Arabic and Italian,” recounts Father Gabriel. “He sent his blessing, his prayers. It was a short but very heartfelt and appreciated call. We told him how pleased we were to see him at the Angelus on Sunday and hear his peace appeal once again. The situation is truly terrible throughout the Strip,” continues the priest. “So we greatly appreciated his solidarity, his prayers, and concern for everyone. We thanked him.”
End the war, for the good of all
The priest confirms that the living conditions of the Gaza population are unimaginable, as Pope Francis described in his Angelus message on Sunday, April 6. He continues to urge not to cease praying: “Pray fervently for the gift of peace and work for peace. Convince all the leaders of nations that peace is possible. As long as this armed conflict continues, no problem will be solved fundamentally. It’s quite the opposite.” He believes it is necessary to “persuade to end this war with all the conditions that concern the people, this part of the Palestinian population, but for the good of all, Palestinians and Israelis. Pray and work for peace and justice. This war must be stopped as soon as possible. More than two million people live here!”
“We are in a cage”
Romanelli explains that providentially, the Christian community, “thanks to God and the constant help of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem,” is doing well, as much as these words can mean in a context like this. “Together with our 500 refugees and our Muslim neighbors in the Zeitoun neighborhood, for now, we are doing well despite supplies starting to run out. In other neighborhoods, everything is lacking, food, water; the crisis already existed before the war, let alone now, after a year and a half of war. The emergency of food, water, and medicine is urgent throughout the Strip.” The image of spectral territories is what Father Gabriel portrays, and amidst the devastation, efforts are made to provide assistance: “Gaza is a prison, it has become a cage, a large one. We help people as much as possible, hundreds of refugees, thousands of Muslim civilian families around us. We help everyone, Christians and non-Christians, trying to be a true instrument of peace for all.”
“We hope in those who truly want peace”
It is a true Lent, a heavy Cross, experienced by the Gaza population, who try not to completely resign. “Yes, but we rely on the help of the Lord, of people of goodwill who truly desire peace.” The appeal, once again, is to pray for peace and work for peace and justice. “Convince everyone that this war must end. It is the necessary first step. And then give hope that they can continue to live in the Gaza Strip without being displaced,” the priest emphasizes, stating that it is now unknown how many people are in the Strip. “It was said to be 2 million and 300 thousand people. In Gaza City, before the war, we were a million and one hundred thousand in the north, then during the war, we were left with 400 thousand, when the ceasefire started, it is estimated that at least 300 thousand people moved from the South to the North, now we don’t know…”
People cannot be moved like objects
To the hypothesis that Gaza could be turned into a tourist beach by removing the resident population, even though they are exhausted, Father Romanelli responds unequivocally: “The right of every human being must be respected, regardless of their citizenship, religion, or situation. The Palestinian people in this part of the Holy Land consist of 2 million and 300 thousand people, they are human beings! One of the universally recognized human rights is the right to have their own land. People are subjects of rights, not objects. You cannot move and deprive people of their rights, first and foremost the right to life and then to stay in their land, to receive assistance and property, their loved ones, their businesses.”
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