The Pope said that the recent Israeli attack on a church in Gaza adds to the ongoing military attacks against the civilian population and places of worship in Gaza.
Pope Leo XIV has condemned the Israeli attack on Gaza’s sole Catholic parish, which claimed the lives of three Christians and left several others wounded.
During his Sunday address, the Pope named the victims—Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh, Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad, and Najwa Ibrahim Latif Abu Daoud—and shared a message for Christians across the region.
“To our beloved Christians in the Middle East, I say: I am close to your sense of helplessness in the face of this dramatic situation. You are in the heart of the Pope and of the whole Church.”
The Pope further expressed his sorrow over the attack on the Holy Family Catholic Parish in Gaza City, describing it as part of a broader pattern of military aggression targeting civilians and places of worship.
“I express my deep sorrow for the Israeli army’s attack on the Catholic parish… I pray for the victims… and I am particularly close to their families and all the parishioners. Unfortunately, this act adds to the ongoing military attacks against the civilian population and places of worship in Gaza,” he said.
“I call once again for an immediate end to the barbarity of war and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” he added.
The pontiff called for an immediate end to the violence and urged all sides to respect humanitarian norms, citing specific prohibitions under international law:
“I appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and respect the obligation to protect civilians, as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, indiscriminate use of force, and forced displacement of the population.”
