
Gaza Catholic church strike kills two, injures several, says Patriarchate
The attack targeted the Holy Family Compound, with conflicting initial reports on casualties.
The Latin Patriarchate confirmed, 'Two persons were killed as a result of an apparent strike by the Israeli army that hit the Holy Family Compound this morning.'
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) responded, stating they were 'aware of reports regarding damage caused to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City and casualties at the scene. The circumstances of the incident are under review.'
The IDF added, 'The IDF makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian structures, including religious sites, and regrets any damage caused to them.' Meanwhile, the Holy Family Church reported 'a number of injured, some in critical condition.'
Among the wounded was Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest, who sustained minor injuries. The Argentine priest, known for updating the late Pope Francis on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was seen in Reuters footage with a bandaged leg but able to walk. The Vatican has not commented.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the attack, stating, 'The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such an attitude.' - Reuters
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The Star
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- The Star
Explainer-Why are Thailand and Cambodia fighting along their border?
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Both sides accuse each other of firing the first shots that started the conflict on Thursday, which have so far claimed the lives of at least 15 civilians, most of them on the Thai side. Cambodia has deployed truck-mounted rocket launchers, which Thailand says have been used to target civilian areas, while the Thai armed forces despatchedUS-made F-16 fighter jets, using one to bomb military targets across the border. Some 130,000 people have been evacuated from border areas in Thailand to safer locations, while some 12,000 families on the Cambodian side have been shifted away from the frontlines, according to local authorities. WHERE DOES THE DISPUTE ORIGINATE? Thailand and Cambodia have for more than a century contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817 km (508 miles) land border, which was first mapped by France in 1907 when Cambodia was its colony. 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Herald Malaysia
an hour ago
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Archbishop Pérez, son of migrants, tells migrants: ‘You are not alone'
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'I am witnessing your sorrow with great sadness and concern as are people of goodwill from all walks of life,' he said, adding, 'As the son of immigrants, I have found recent events particularly heartbreaking.' The 64-year-old archbishop said in a February 2020 Spanish-language interview with Telemundo 62, 'Yo digo que fui hecho en Cuba, pero desempaquetado en Miami' ('I was conceived in Cuba, but born (literally, 'unpacked') in Miami'). His parents, David and Emma Pérez, had fled Cuba, where in 1959 the dictatorship of President Fulgencio Batista fell to what would become the first communist regime in the Western hemisphere under Premier Fidel Castro. Shortly after their arrival in Miami, the Pérez family relocated to northern New Jersey, where the future archbishop, born in 1961, was raised. Catholic Social Teaching on Immigration In his July 23 letter, Archbishop Pérez highlighted Catholic social teaching on immigration, which seeks to balance three interrelated principles — the right of people to migrate in order to sustain their lives and those of their families, the right of a country to regulate its borders and control immigration, and a nation's duty to regulate its borders with justice and mercy. The Catechism of the Catholic Church also instructs that 'the more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin' (Catechism, 2241). 'As Catholics, we believe our eternal homeland is heaven, and that as citizens of earth, the dignity of every person means everyone should have a safe place to live, with the opportunity to work for a just wage,' said Archbishop Pérez in his pastoral letter. 'Many of you came to the United States seeking new opportunities far away from oppressive regimes and endured difficult and dangerous circumstances to start life anew here.' 'Your Presence, Contributions Are a Blessing' He said, 'Your presence and your contributions to society through hard work and upright living are a blessing to our country and to our Church.' 'No one should be forced to live in fear of unjust persecution,' he said. 'I encourage you to remain close with the members of your parish communities and the priests who provide you with pastoral care,' said Archbishop Pérez. That exhortation comes as at least two U.S. dioceses have publicly addressed fears of immigration arrests at parishes. Bishop Alberto Rojas of San Bernardino, California, issued a July 8 dispensation from the Sunday Mass obligation for those with a genuine fear of ICE raids. In May, the Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee, released a message, disseminated to diocesan parishes, reminding the faithful that according to the church's own teaching and canon law, they are not required to attend Sunday Mass if they fear for their well-being. Advocating for Protection of Life, Liberty 'We recognize that our country is rightly safeguarded by law enforcement officials. They uphold the common good by protecting all of us from human trafficking, the exploitation of children, and any other criminal offense against human dignity,' wrote Archbishop Pérez. 'At the same time, we strongly advocate for immigration policies that guarantee the protection of life, liberty, and property of all those who call the United States of America home, natural born citizens and those working toward citizenship alike.' Noting that 'there is no instant solution to the challenges pervading immigration policy,' he said, 'I urge everyone in parish communities to unite through prayer and social unity with the immigrant faithful under the leadership of parish pastors.' Archbishop Pérez concluded his letter with a prayer for migrants and for the nation as a whole. 'The Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph cared for the child Jesus in the mystery of the flight into Egypt and their intercession is with us today. I pray with you and for you that you experience the protection of God,' he said. 'May our Lord bless our country with peace and inspire comprehensive immigration reform that respects the law and provides meaningful opportunities for all those who wish to call the United States of America their home.'--OSV news