Cardinal Pizzaballa is the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. He has been visiting Gaza in the days before Christmas since long before the war. And he continues to do so. Today, this essentially pastoral visit takes on even greater significance.
The Cardinal's intention is to comfort and encourage all the Catholics who remain in Gaza. Despite the ceasefire, the situation there is still desperate. All forms of humanitarian aid are scarce and the people are suffering terribly.
Most recently, Cardinal Pizzaballa visited displacement camps, and Catholic-run organizations like Caritas and the Missionaries of Charity. The people of Gaza prepared for his visit like this...
The Cardinal also celebrated a Mass in preparation for Christmas. While major progress towards guaranteeing a lasting peace throughout the region continues to stall, the Catholic Church, together other Christian denominations, is doing what it can.
For example, two days before Cardinal Pizzaballa arrived in Gaza, he signed a joint appeal requesting that children suffering from leukemia be allowed to travel to Jerusalem in order to receive treatment.
