Fr. Romanelli: 杏MAP导航 Leo XIV gives us new encouragement to persevere
By Roberto Cetera
In an interview with Vatican News, the parish priest of the Holy Family Church in Gaza, Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, described the atmosphere in the enclave at the moment.
鈥淢ore than the lack of food, clean water, and medicine, more than the threat to our safety, what worries me most is that hope might be lost,鈥� Fr. Romanelli explained.
Since people in the Gaza Strip are not being 鈥渢reated as human beings with rights but as objects,鈥� he said, 鈥渉ope is fading.鈥�
The hope that this war will end, that peace will return, that homes will be rebuilt, and that the 鈥渟mall and resilient Christian community鈥� will continue is hard to maintain in the midst of the conflict.
The parish priest stressed that the majority of the people living in Gaza are civilians and are in no way part of the armed conflict.
鈥淥ur community must resist,鈥� Fr. Romanelli said, 鈥渂ecause Gaza must continue to have a visible Christian presence.鈥�
Q: Father Gabriel, what is the situation like now, particularly for the Christian community, which has been sheltering in the parish compound for almost 20 months?
Thanks to the help we鈥檝e received from the Church and many friends around the world, we鈥檝e been able to help not only our parishioners but tens of thousands of families鈥攔egardless of religion or origin鈥攚ho come to us seeking help.
But for nearly three months now, we鈥檝e received nothing from outside the Strip. All aid鈥攚hether food, water, or medicine鈥攊s blocked at the entrance by the Israeli army. Fortunately, we had stockpiled some supplies, and by rationing them, we鈥檝e managed to survive. However, we can no longer help people outside our own community.
We still have some flour to bake bread, but we have to sift it multiple times because it鈥檚 full of worms. We also have to purify all our water to prevent disease. Occasionally, we can get vegetables from local farmers or makeshift street stalls, but they are very expensive. A single onion costs about 10 euros; tomatoes are slightly more affordable鈥攎ore than 15 euros per kilo.
Now we have to manage our remaining supplies very carefully for the nearly 500 refugees we are sheltering, including about 50 children cared for by the Sisters of Mother Teresa.
We cannot find diapers anywhere in the Strip, even though they are absolutely necessary for both babies and the elderly. When they were available, they cost no less than 3 euros each.
The situation with medicine is desperate. We鈥檝e completely run out, which is especially dangerous for those with chronic conditions鈥攈eart patients, people with high blood pressure, diabetics鈥攚ho now have no access to treatment. Everywhere you turn, you see need.
But above all, no one knows what the future holds for the 2.3 million people living here. And it鈥檚 this uncertainty that leads to the loss of hope. People feel abandoned by everyone. They feel that only God still cares about their fate.
Q: Do you hear explosions nearby?
Yes, frequently. [On Tuesday morning, ed.], there were fewer, as the strikes seemed to be focused more to the north. But we hear them constantly, and often shrapnel鈥攕ometimes quite large鈥攆alls nearby.
There鈥檚 a surreal sense of 鈥渘ormalcy.鈥� While we speak, children are playing outside in the parish courtyard. If they were to hear an explosion, even a close one, they would probably keep playing. Danger is left to fate.
When Israeli fighter jets fly overhead, people rush indoors, wait a few minutes in case shrapnel falls, and then go back outside and resume their daily lives. Horror has become routine.
The same happens in church: we are praying together, and suddenly shrapnel hits the roof or the windows slam open from the blast wave鈥攂ut the prayer continues. This routine gives us more security than fleeing.
Q: For many months, you were comforted by 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� daily evening calls. Now we have 杏MAP导航 Leo XIV. What do you expect from the new 杏MAP导航?
杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� 8:00 p.m. call became known as 鈥渢he 杏MAP导航鈥檚 hour.鈥� Even now, every evening at 8, we ring the bells with the Angelus to remember those calls. Some people, when they hear the bells, still shout, 鈥淕ood evening, Holy Father!鈥� because his presence is still felt among us.
What 杏MAP导航 Francis did for us was absolutely extraordinary鈥攗nprecedented in history.
With 杏MAP导航 Leo XIV, we immediately felt a new encouragement to persevere, especially when鈥攚e had set up a screen in the church and, fortunately, had both electricity and internet that evening鈥攈e began his ministry with a prayer for peace.
We were all together鈥擟atholics, Orthodox, and many Muslim friends鈥攔ejoicing to hear the new 杏MAP导航 plead for peace: for Gaza and for the world.
Q: Father Gabriel, would you like to take this opportunity to send a message to 杏MAP导航 Leo?
Absolutely. I want to tell him how grateful we are for his words of peace, and that our entire community is praying for him. And not just us鈥擟atholics, Orthodox, and Muslims alike feel they have a father.
The closeness of 杏MAP导航 Francis was the closeness of the entire Church. And we continue to feel that closeness with 杏MAP导航 Leo. He is the Successor of Peter, father of the Church, and father of all. Of all.
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