Father Gabriel Romanelli, who ministers to Gaza’s only Catholic church has asked his parishioners to “forgive all those who have failed” as the territory looks to rebuild following the newly announced ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Gaza only has three churches and Father Romanelli’s Holy Family Church was by no means spared the effects of the war.
Two parishioners were allegedly killed by Israeli Defence Force (IDF) sniper fire church and in a separate incident the church was hit by an IDF tank round.
Three people were killed in that incident, including the janitor and Father Romanelli himself was injured.
In total 57 members of Gaza’s tiny Christian community have been killed in the conflict.
Throughout the conflict the church was used as a refuge by up to 500 people at a time, mostly Christians, but also others. Many people with disabilities have found refuge there.
Father Romanelli and a handful of Catholic clergy and volunteers ignored an Israeli evacuation order ahead of a major offensive in September, arguing that such an order amounted to a “death sentence” for people weakened by the deprivations of the war.
During his Sunday address Father Romanelli said, “This ceasefire, God willing, will become the end of this atrocious war.
“The long-awaited day has come to begin the implementation of the peace process or peace agreement … May God, in his goodness, grant the Holy Land – and particularly this part of the Holy Land, which is Palestine, Israel – that we may begin to live in peace, in justice, in reconciliation.”
The priest also gave thanks for the first Sunday without bombing and asked all present “to forgive all those who, voluntarily or involuntarily, have failed, and ask forgiveness for our own shortcomings”.
Father Romanelli and the Holy Family Church were of special interest to the late Pope Francis. During the final months of his life, Pope Francis was reportedly in contact with the parish on an almost daily basis, despite his own worsening health.
