Latest news with #Antone
AsiaOne
09-05-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Gaza's Christians confident new Pope will give importance to enclave's peace, World News
CAIRO — Gaza's tiny Christian community said that they were happy about the election of a new leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday (May 8), adding they were also confident he would give importance to the war-torn enclave like his predecessor Pope Francis did. Cardinal Robert Prevost, a little known missionary from Chicago, was elected in a surprise choice to be the new head of the Catholic Church, becoming the first US pope and taking the name Leo XIV. "We are happy about the election of the Pope... We hope that his heart will remain with Gaza like Pope Francis," George Antone, 44, head of the emergency committee at the Holy Family Church in Gaza, told Reuters. The late Pope Francis, who campaigned for peace for the devastated enclave, called the church hours after the war in Gaza began in October 2023, the start of what the Vatican News Service would describe as a nightly routine throughout the war. "We appeal to the new pope to look at Gaza through the eyes of Pope Francis and to feel it with the heart of Pope Francis. At the same time, we are confident that the new pope will give importance to Gaza and its peace," Antone added. War in Gaza erupted when Hamas militants launched an attack against southern Israel, in which 251 people were taken hostage and some 1,200 were killed, according to Israeli tallies. Since the abductions, Israel has responded with an air and ground assault on Gaza that has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health authorities there, and reduced much of Gaza to ruins. Hamas, in a statement, congratulated Pope Leo saying that it looked forward to "his continuation of the late Pope's path in supporting the oppressed and rejecting the genocide in Gaza." The Holy Family Church compound in Gaza houses 450 Christians as well as a shelter for the elderly and children that also accommodates 30 Muslims, Antone said. Gaza's 2.3 million population comprises an estimated 1,000 Christians, mostly Greek Orthodox. [[nid:717125]]
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gaza's Christians confident new Pope will give importance to enclave's peace
CAIRO (Reuters) - Gaza's tiny Christian community said that they were happy about the election of a new leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday, adding they were also confident he would give importance to the war-torn enclave like his predecessor Pope Francis did. Cardinal Robert Prevost, a little known missionary from Chicago, was elected in a surprise choice to be the new head of the Catholic Church, becoming the first U.S. pope and taking the name Leo XIV. "We are happy about the election of the Pope ... We hope that his heart will remain with Gaza like Pope Francis," George Antone, 44, head of the emergency committee at the Holy Family Church in Gaza, told Reuters. The late Pope Francis, who campaigned for peace for the devastated enclave, called the church hours after the war in Gaza began in October 2023, the start of what the Vatican News Service would describe as a nightly routine throughout the war. "We appeal to the new pope to look at Gaza through the eyes of Pope Francis and to feel it with the heart of Pope Francis. At the same time, we are confident that the new pope will give importance to Gaza and its peace," Antone added. War in Gaza erupted when Hamas militants launched an attack against southern Israel, in which 251 people were taken hostage and some 1,200 were killed, according to Israeli tallies. Since the abductions, Israel has responded with an air and ground assault on Gaza that has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health authorities there, and reduced much of Gaza to ruins. Hamas, in a statement, congratulated Pope Leo saying that it looked forward to "his continuation of the late Pope's path in supporting the oppressed and rejecting the genocide in Gaza." The Holy Family Church compound in Gaza houses 450 Christians as well as a shelter for the elderly and children that also accommodates 30 Muslims, Antone said. Gaza's 2.3 million population comprises an estimated 1,000 Christians, mostly Greek Orthodox.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Eatonville back in the running as proposed amendment rekindles hope for black history museum
The nation's oldest incorporated Black municipality may soon have another opportunity to host a Black History Museum. 'I'm really praying that they will have a change of mind and a lot of us have been praying that it will come back here,' said Glenn Paige, Owner of Blessed By The Best Barber and Beauty Salon. Tuesday, State Representative Bruce Antone amended Senate Bill 466, aiming to designate Eatonville, along with St. Johns County and Opa-Locka, as potential sites for the museum. The amendment seeks to rectify previous decisions and ensure a more inclusive selection process. 'My museum would be 30% dedicated to the history of Florida, and the other 70% would be dedicated to black history, meaning we're going to remember the past, but we're going to celebrate the future,' said Antone. Antone's amendment comes after a contentious decision by the Florida Museum of Black History Task Force, which previously selected an undeveloped site in St. Johns County over Eatonville despite the rich history and readiness to host the museum. Orange County wanted to build a facility that included a performing arts center and a hotel off Interstate 4 and argued the former Hungerford School site was best poised for success. St. Johns County leaned heavily on its history and the heavily weighted scoring to rise above concerns that its rural location was far from anything else and wouldn't be able to sustain a major museum. 'St. Augustine was supposed to do a feasibility study, which they had not done. So, they don't know whether a museum can sustain itself in St. Augustine, but it can certainly sustain itself in Orange County,' said Antone. Antone said the amendment is not to take away from St. Johns County but to more locations that work for everyone. Senate Bill 466 was passed in the Senate back in April and sent to the House in messages. The amendment would strike the language in the bill that only creates a Black History Museum in St. Johns County. It would then add language to create three Florida Museum of History locations in St. Johns County, Opa-Locka, and Eatonville. The amendment would also include The Department of State partnering with each location, the locations must conduct a financial feasibility study, and budgets must match on a one-to-one basis with any combination of local government funding, grants, or philanthropic contributions not exceeding $75 million over 5 years. For Eatonville, this development is more than a legislative change but an opportunity to celebrate and preserve its unique heritage. The establishment of the museum would not only honor the town's legacy but serve as an educational and cultural hub for future generations. Residents said placing the museum on the site of the former Hungerford School would help the town thrive economically. State Rep Antone said Orlando's tourist power marks Eatonville as a viable place for the museum. 'The town of Eatonville and Orange County offers a much better prospect for a museum that is able to sustain itself. Meaning enough money would come in just from the admission because the feasibility study for Orange County said that maybe half a million people would visit the museum. If you charge $10, that's 5 million dollars per year that could be used for operational management,' said Antone. The proposed amendment aims to rectify this by acknowledging multiple historically significant locations, giving Eatonville another chance. Resident said the move would be a step toward inclusivity and recognition of the diverse narratives that constitute Florida's Black history. 'We have a lot of hope in Eatonville,' said Paige. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Egypt Independent
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
The pope called them every night until his final hours. Now, Gaza's Christians cling to the hope he left behind
CNN — The final call lasted 30 seconds. Just enough time to say hello and ask if everyone was okay. But for Gaza's tiny Christian population, the phone call from Pope Francis was a ray of hope that shone through the horrors of war. Every day since the beginning of the war 18 months ago, the pope rang the Holy Family Church in Gaza City around 8pm, Father Gabriel Romanelli, the pastor of the besieged territory's only Catholic parish, told CNN. On most days, the call lasted about 15 minutes, during which the pope would speak with the church leaders and some of the Palestinians sheltering at the church. For Palestinians, it became a daily reminder that Gaza was not forgotten. 'He shows us his paternity. He is very close to us,' said Romanelli. 'All the time he called us throughout this war – this horrible war – for more than a year and a half, he would call for peace and send his blessings to all of Gaza's people.' From the beginning, Francis repeatedly called for an end to the war and was an outspoken critic of Israel's siege on the territory. In his Easter message the day before he died, he wished that 'the light of peace radiate throughout the Holy Land and the entire world.' 'I think of the people of Gaza, and its Christian community in particular, where the terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction and to create a dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation,' Francis' message said. 'I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace!' The Holy Family Church in Gaza has become a shelter for the enclave's tiny Christian community. Displaced by Israel's bombardment of the territory, Christian families have turned to the parish as a place to find relative safety. Makeshift tents fill the crammed courtyard, the solid edifice of the church overlooking the flimsy havens. According to the church and Gaza's Ministry of Health, Israeli strikes have killed around 20 members of the enclave's small Christian community. Some Muslim children and their families have come to the church as well, the church said. 'His Holiness the pope was not an ordinary person,' said Musa Antone, a Christian resident of Gaza. 'He was a man of faith who inquired about both Christians and Muslims.' Palestinian Christians in Gaza mourn the death of Pope Francis, who had maintained close contact with the besieged territory's small Christian community since the start of the war, on Monday, April 21, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP) (Photo by OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images) Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP/Getty Images For years, Antone said, Francis gave the Christian community strength. 'He was concerned about all of Gaza, providing reassurance and strength to the Christian community so that they would not leave Gaza,' Antone told CNN. Once numbering several thousand, the community dwindled as more Christians chose to leave. The pope, Antone said, helped keep it alive. 'It is true that we have lost his body, but we will not lose him as a spirit,' Antone said. In May 2014, Francis made his only visit to the occupied West Bank. He never visited Gaza, but the Holy Family Church described his concern for the enclave as a 'father's anxiety for his children.' 'He always sought to dispel the fear within us, reassuring us that we should not be afraid, that he was with us, and that he prayed for us, and that we should pray for everyone as well,' Father George Antone, the head of the emergency committee at the church, told CNN. The world's Catholic population numbers around 1.4 billion. In Gaza, fewer than 1,400 Christians remain, and the number of Catholics is smaller still – an almost invisible minority within an overwhelmingly Muslim Palestinian society. Pope Francis could have overlooked them, as they represented less than 0.0001% of his global flock. He could have called less often. But he refused. Even when he was in critical condition in the hospital, the pope called, Father Romanelli told CNN. The last call was on Saturday. At the usual time, the pontiff held one of his shortest phone calls with the church. It lasted less than a minute, Romanelli said. 'He was so sick but insisted to do that call as usual.'
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The pope called them every night until his final hours. Now, Gaza's Christians cling to the hope he left behind
The final call lasted 30 seconds. Just enough time to say hello and ask if everyone was okay. But for Gaza's tiny Christian population, the phone call from Pope Francis was a ray of hope that shone through the horrors of war. Every day since the beginning of the war 18 months ago, the pope rang the Holy Family Church in Gaza City around 8pm, Father Gabriel Romanelli, the pastor of the besieged territory's only Catholic parish, told CNN. On most days, the call lasted about 15 minutes, during which the pope would speak with the church leaders and some of the Palestinians sheltering at the church. For Palestinians, it became a daily reminder that Gaza was not forgotten. 'He shows us his paternity. He is very close to us,' said Romanelli. 'All the time he called us throughout this war – this horrible war – for more than a year and a half, he would call for peace and send his blessings to all of Gaza's people.' From the beginning, Francis repeatedly called for an end to the war and was an outspoken critic of Israel's siege on the territory. In his Easter message the day before he died, he wished that 'the light of peace radiate throughout the Holy Land and the entire world.' 'I think of the people of Gaza, and its Christian community in particular, where the terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction and to create a dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation,' Francis' message said. 'I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace!' The Holy Family Church in Gaza has become a shelter for the enclave's tiny Christian community. Displaced by Israel's bombardment of the territory, Christian families have turned to the parish as a place to find relative safety. Makeshift tents fill the crammed courtyard, the solid edifice of the church overlooking the flimsy havens. According to the church and Gaza's Ministry of Health, Israeli strikes have killed around 20 members of the enclave's small Christian community. Some Muslim children and their families have come to the church as well, the church said. 'His Holiness the pope was not an ordinary person,' said Musa Antone, a Christian resident of Gaza. 'He was a man of faith who inquired about both Christians and Muslims.' For years, Antone said, Francis gave the Christian community strength. 'He was concerned about all of Gaza, providing reassurance and strength to the Christian community so that they would not leave Gaza,' Antone told CNN. Once numbering several thousand, the community dwindled as more Christians chose to leave. The pope, Antone said, helped keep it alive. 'It is true that we have lost his body, but we will not lose him as a spirit,' Antone said. In May 2014, Francis made his only visit to the occupied West Bank. He never visited Gaza, but the Holy Family Church described his concern for the enclave as a 'father's anxiety for his children.' 'He always sought to dispel the fear within us, reassuring us that we should not be afraid, that he was with us, and that he prayed for us, and that we should pray for everyone as well,' Father George Antone, the head of the emergency committee at the church, told CNN. The world's Catholic population numbers around 1.4 billion. In Gaza, fewer than 1,400 Christians remain, and the number of Catholics is smaller still – an almost invisible minority within an overwhelmingly Muslim Palestinian society. Pope Francis could have overlooked them, as they represented less than 0.0001% of his global flock. He could have called less often. But he refused. Even when he was in critical condition in the hospital, the pope called, Father Romanelli told CNN. The last call was on Saturday. At the usual time, the pontiff held one of his shortest phone calls with the church. It lasted less than a minute, Romanelli said. 'He was so sick but insisted to do that call as usual.'
