Palestinians are living in ‘unacceptable’ conditions, pope says

VATICAN CITY — As tens of thousands of Palestinians were fleeing their homes as Israel launched a major new ground offensive in Gaza City, Pope Leo XIV expressed his “profound closeness to the Palestinian people in Gaza.”

They “continue to live in fear and survive in unacceptable conditions, forced once again to leave their lands,” he said to applause at the end of his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square Sept. 17.

“Before the Almighty Lord who commanded, ‘Thou shalt not kill,’ and in the presence of all of human history, every person always has an inviolable dignity to be respected and protected,” he said.

The pope renewed his appeal “for a ceasefire, the release of hostages, a negotiated diplomatic solution and full respect for international humanitarian law” while inviting everyone to join him “in heartfelt prayer that a dawn of peace and justice may soon arise.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said the long-planned operation to occupy Gaza City was aimed at Hamas’ “last major stronghold.” Heavy airstrikes hit portions of the city Sept. 16 as Israeli troops began a gradual push from the outskirts.

While many parts of Gaza City were already destroyed during the war in 2023, about a million Palestinians had still returned to their homes, often in the rubble or in bombed-out buildings, according to the BBC.

The Israel Defense Forces estimated 350,000 people had fled the city by Sept. 16, and more than half a million remain, the BBC reported. People were told to head south to a coastal part of the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory determined that Israel is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza.

“It is clear that there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza through acts that meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide Convention,” said Navi Pillay, commission chair, Sept. 16.

Danny Meron, Israel’s Ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, rejected the commission’s findings, saying the report “falsely accuses Israel of genocidal intent,” which cannot be substantiated, and it “promotes a narrative serving Hamas and its supporters in attempting to delegitimize and demonize the state of Israel.”

The report urged Israel and all countries to fulfil their obligations under international law “to end the genocide” and punish those responsible.

Pope phones Gaza parish

Just a few hours after Israel launched a major new ground offensive in Gaza City, Pope Leo XIV called the pastor of the city’s only Latin-rite parish to express his concern, his prayers and his closeness, the Vatican press office said.

Pope Leo, who was spending the day at Castel Gandolfo, spoke Sept. 16 with Argentine Father Gabriel Romanelli, a member of the Institute of the Incarnate Word and pastor of Holy Family Parish in Gaza City.

Father Romanelli told the pope that Israeli troops and tanks had not reached the area where the church compound is located, the press office said. But the sound of artillery fire could be heard from the parish.

While the Israeli military has been warning civilians to evacuate Gaza City, Father Romanelli told the pope that about 450 people are being sheltered in the parish compound, and the parish continues to assist them and other people in the neighborhood with food, water and medicine.

The parish oratory continues operating, leading people in prayer and organizing activities for children, the press office said. Special assistance to the sick and elderly also continues.

Father Romanelli posted on X a quote from St. John Bosco: “Trusting in Mary brings unshakable comfort and hope.”

Catholic delegation went to Holy Land as ‘pilgrims of hope,’ says Baltimore archbishop

By Christopher Gunty | Catholic Review

BALTIMORE — Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore and leaders of the Knights of Columbus and Catholic Near East Welfare Association visited Jerusalem, the Palestinian West Bank and other parts of the Holy Lands Sept. 2-6, connecting with ministries serving those in the conflict area.

“What you see is that even in a time of great darkness and suffering, the light and the goodness and the glory of Christ shine through in these ministries,” Archbishop Lori said upon his return to Baltimore.

“We came as pilgrims of hope. Certainly, we wanted to be a witness of hope to folks who are having a really hard time, but they also strengthen our hope. It was what the synod calls an exchange of gifts,” he told the Catholic Review, Baltimore’s archdiocesan news outlet.

The pastoral visit was organized by CNEWA-Pontifical Mission, based in New York City, that supports the diverse humanitarian and pastoral works of the Eastern churches throughout the Middle East, Northeast Africa, India and Eastern Europe.

Archbishop Lori said many organizations, including the Latin Patriarchate, the custos and CNEWA are working to address the humanitarian crisis and famine in Gaza.

“We’re all trying, but one of the things we can do in our country is to advocate for the people in Gaza, just as Pope Leo XIV has been doing relentlessly and correctly,” he said. “The other thing is that, of course, they haven’t had many visitors in the Holy Land lately, and simply (for the group) to show up and just to say, ‘You’re not forgotten,’ that’s also an important facet of our visit.”

Archbishop Lori celebrated Masses for the group at sites of great significance for the faith, including the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, where it is believed that the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary; the place in Bethlehem where St. Jerome spent 30 years translating the Bible into Latin, known as the Vulgate Bible; and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

The pastoral visit follows the Aug. 12 call of the president of the USCCB, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, for a special collection to be taken up in parishes across the United States “to provide humanitarian relief and pastoral support for our affected brothers and sisters in Gaza and surrounding areas in the Middle East and send donated funds to CNEWA and CRS (Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services).”