Despite the escalating situation in Gaza, Catholic priest Father Gabriel Romanelli and a few other devoted clergy have chosen to remain with their flock and to minister to the sick and wounded.
There is just one Catholic church in Gaza, Holy Family Church. For the duration of the present conflict it has served as a refuge.
The late Pope Francis was particularly concerned with the fate of the church and was reportedly in almost daily contact with Father Romanelli and Holy Family Church during the last months of his life.
Sadly, the church has not been spared the effects of the conflict. In December 2023 two parishioners were shot and killed, allegedly by IDF snipers. In July of this year the church was hit by an IDF shell, killing three, including the church janitor, and injuring Father Romanelli and nine others.
Earlier this week the United Nations said it believed Israeli actions in Gaza amounted to genocide. Israel has been heavily criticised not only for its military actions, but also for “weaponizing” aid.
George Akroush development director for Jerusalem’s Latin Patriarchate, speaking to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), said of the situation, “The civilian population continues to suffer from bombings, displacement, and an acute shortage of food, medicine and electricity.
“In recent days, the Israeli army has begun demolishing homes just a few hundred metres from the Catholic compound, apparently in preparation for an upcoming ground operation, since the streets in Gaza City are too narrow for tanks or large military vehicles.
“These nearby demolitions keep families in constant fear and worry.”
Father Romanelli refused to comply with an Israeli evacuation order, with church representatives saying that such an order amounted to a “death sentence” for people who were already weak from the deprivations of the conflict.
Father Romanelli said, “Faced with the reality of the elderly, the sick, the exhausted, the depressed and the children, it seems to us that the Lord is asking us to stay and continue to serve those who suffer. This is a simply human and spiritual observation.”
The priest is being aided by two other priests and two religious sisters of the Institute of the Incarnate Word and three Missionaries of Charity. Together they care for around 450 refugees, mostly Catholic and Orthodox, but also some Muslims and people with disabilities who are too vulnerable to move.
Akroush praised their decision to stay, despite the danger, “Remaining at the compound is indeed a wise decision by our people, since nowhere in Gaza can truly be considered safe.
“Those who left are enduring some of the worst situations of their lives – tents are erected in the middle of the streets, hygiene conditions are extremely poor, and there is a severe shortage of everything.
“Above all, death is everywhere, and the fact is that there is no such thing as a safe place in Gaza.”
