An Israeli shell slammed into the compound of Gaza’s only Catholic church on Wednesday, killing two people and wounding several others, according to witnesses and church officials. Among the injured was the parish’s priest, who became a close friend of Pope Francis in the final months of the late pontiff’s life.
The shelling of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza also damaged the church compound, where hundreds of Palestinians have been sheltering from the war.
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza in response to the attack.
In a telegram of condolences for the victims sent by the Vatican’s No. 2, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Leo expressed “his profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation and enduring peace in the region.” The pope was “deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack,″ and expressed his closeness to the parish priest, the Rev. Gabriele Romanelli and the entire parish.
Romanelli was very close to the late Pope Francis and the two spoke often during the war in Gaza.
Hundreds of people sheltered at the church
The church compound was sheltering both Christians and Muslims, including a number of children with disabilities, according to Fadel Naem, acting director of Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the fatalities and people injured.
