Vatican News / Karol Darmoros, Cecilia Seppia
Pope: I am praying for you
In a message addressed to Fr. Romanelli, Leo XIV referred directly to the death of the two Christian women. “Good morning, Father Gabriel. Ever since the painful news of the deaths of Maysa and Mary reached me, I have been praying to God for them, for their families, and for the entire community of Gaza. How long, O Lord? Thank you for accompanying the parish and so many people who wish to live in peace. Blessings, warm regards,” the Pope wrote.
Victims of the attack
Maysa Khader Ibrahim Abu Daoud and her daughter Mary Hafez Michel Najjar belonged to Gaza’s Greek Orthodox community. They were killed in an Israeli attack on a residential building in the Rimal neighborhood in the western part of the city. The airstrike left five civilians dead and many others injured.
Condolences to the families and the local community were also expressed by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa. Maysa and Mary were bid farewell during a funeral at the Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza.
“We have not come out of this”
Ahead of the anniversary of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, Cardinal Pizzaballa pointed out that both Israelis and Palestinians remain deeply marked by the events of recent years. “We still have not come out of that day. Both communities, Israelis and Palestinians, are stuck in this deep, still unprocessed trauma,” he said in an interview with “La Repubblica”. The Cardinal added that he does not see the thought emerging: “let us stop”.
The Patriarch notes that in terms of the intensity of military operations, the situation is somewhat better today. At the same time, daily living conditions in Gaza remain dramatic. “From the standpoint of ordinary life and the humanitarian situation, it is perhaps even worse than before,” he assessed.
Reconstruction is still not happening
Cardinal Pizzaballa pointed out that the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip has not begun, and the living conditions of the residents have not improved. “All the questions that could not be asked during the mass bombardments are now coming up,” Cardinal Pizzaballa noted.
An additional threat is the approaching winter. “The rains will be a huge problem for everyone living in tents,” the Patriarch said.
A sign of hope, however, was the reopening of the parish school in Gaza. “This was an important sign that needed to be given. A sign that despite all the difficulties we want to start over: we are not giving up. There was a lot of joy that day, everyone was crying,” Cardinal Pizzaballa added.
The Patriarch also pointed to the upcoming elections on the Israeli and Palestinian sides, which – as he noted – will be “an important moment to verify where the current leaderships have led their nations”.
