Latest news with #PalestinianChristians
Straits Times
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Gaza's Christians confident new Pope will give importance to enclave's peace
FILE PHOTO: Palestinian Christians attend a Mass at the Holy Family Church after the death of Pope Francis was announced by the Vatican, in Gaza City, April 21, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo FILE PHOTO: Palestinian Christians attend a Mass at the Holy Family Church after the death of Pope Francis was announced by the Vatican, in Gaza City, April 21, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo CAIRO - 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. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The National
25-04-2025
- Politics
- The National
Why Christians in occupied Palestine may be at risk of disappearing
In his last public address on Easter Sunday, Pope Francis called for an end to the violence in Gaza, calling the humanitarian situation there "dramatic and deplorable'. His message came only a day before his death. People all over the world mourned the death of the beloved Pontiff, but perhaps no place more than in Gaza, where Palestinian Christians fear they have lost a protector of their community. Already a dwindling minority, Christians in the strip have also been killed, injured and displaced in the war. Only about half of the 1000 or so Christians remain, with many forced to flee. Members of the community say they are now concerned that Gaza's Christians are at risk of disappearing. The same fear is echoed in the West Bank and Jerusalem where followers of the faith have faced increasingly aggressive attacks and restrictions, including this past Easter. Members of the community have reported a rise in settler attacks against clergy and say Israeli policies are taking a toll on the rapidly shrinking Christian minority of Palestinians. Host Nada AlTaher speaks to Mitri Raheb, a Palestinian pastor and founder of Dar Al-Kalima University in Bethlehem, and to Palestinian political analyst, Khalil Sayegh, himself a Christian from Gaza.
Middle East Eye
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Bethlehem pastor criticises world leaders for ignoring Pope Francis' Gaza plea
A Bethlehem pastor has slammed the "hypocrisy" of world leaders over their tributes to the late Pope Francis, which failed to acknowledge the plight of Palestinians in war-ravaged Gaza as well as the "worst ever" Easter weekend Palestinian Christians experienced in recent memory. "This Easter, in terms of Israel's actions in East Jerusalem, it has been the worst ever," Reverend Munther Isaac, a Christian pastor and theologian, told MEE Live. "It seems that it's getting worse every year." The pastor appeared on MEE Live to discuss the legacy of Pope Francis, whose death on Easter Monday concluded a weekend marred by air strikes on Gaza, settler violence in the occupied West Bank, and the barring of Palestinian worshippers from holy sites in Jerusalem. "We should not just accept the annexation of East Jerusalem as status quo," Isaac said, citing Israel's decision to block thousands of Palestinian Christians from attending services in Jerusalem's Old City. "It's really hard to understand this oppression, this violence against people who just wanted to go to church," Isaac said. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "The goal is clear. Israel wants to strengthen their control over the Old City of Jerusalem, including the holy sites, to give Jerusalem only and exclusively a Jewish identity, rather than what we all hope for - Jerusalem to be a city shared by three religions and two people, in equality and respect for one another. What Israel is doing is really despicable, and I hope the world pays attention." His comments came as world leaders of all stripes paid tribute to Pope Francis but failed to acknowledge his final call which pushed for an end to the war in Gaza. "We will hear today, tomorrow, the coming week, words of tribute for Pope Francis from world leaders, from politicians," Isaac said. "All of these words, in my opinion, just leak hypocrisy." 'We didn't hear his voice': Gaza's churches fall silent after death of Pope Francis Read More » While he was alive, Pope Francis called the Holy Family Church in Gaza City almost every day, to check in on the wellbeing of his flock in the devastated enclave. But since his death, most world leaders have refrained from acknowledging his legacy. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described Francis as "a pope for the poor, the downtrodden and the forgotten", while King Charles said the pontiff had "profoundly touched the lives of many". "Had they been genuine," Isaac said, "they would follow his example. They would call not just for a ceasefire, but for accountability." In November, Pope Francis called for an investigation into whether Israel's campaign in Gaza constituted a genocide of the Palestinian people. "According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide," he wrote in his book, Hope Does Not Disappoint. "It should be carefully investigated to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists or international bodies." The book was published days before the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of a range of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Days before the ICC issued its arrest warrants, a UN special committee report accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war, and policies and practices in Gaza that may amount to a "possibility of genocide". 'Killing children is not the way forward' In the interview, Isaac also criticised hypocrisy in the media coverage of Francis' legacy, recalling a moment in 2014 when the pope made global headlines by stopping to pray at the wall partitioning Israel from the West Bank. "There's so much about the hypocrisy behind those who shared that story, yet forgot about the situation, the occupation, the suffering of Palestinians the moment the pope left. "Everyone stopped, everyone took a picture, everyone spoke about the moment he touched the wall. But then he left, and it went all to the same way of covering - or even ignoring - what's happening in Palestine." But for Palestinian Christians, the pastor said, Pope Francis' solidarity would live on. "He touched more than just the wall. He touched the ugliness of apartheid. And more so, he touched our hearts, showing us that he saw through our pain and suffering." In Jerusalem, Christians celebrate Easter at gunpoint Read More » Pope Francis' solidarity with Palestinians has led to criticism, and even celebration of his death, from inside Israel, where the government deleted its own social media post offering condolences for the 88-year-old's death. Others have explicitly accused the Pope of 'antisemitism'. Zvika Klein, editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post, claimed the pontiff had shown of 'unconditional support for Hamas'. "It is shameful, truly shameful," Isaac said. "It's shameful that accusations of antisemitism continue to be weaponised, even in an attempt to tarnish the reputation of a great man like Pope Francis. "He's not for one people group against the other. He's for humanity, he's for justice, and he's against war. "And he clearly understood that killing children is not the way forward." Since the start of the war in October 2023, Israel has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians and turned much of the enclave into an uninhabitable hellscape. Entire families and neighbourhoods have been erased, with schools and hospitals repeatedly devastated by air strikes and tank fire. Since resuming its offensive after reneging on a ceasefire deal on 2 March, Israel, which is heavily backed by the US, UK and other western powers, has refused to allow lifesaving supplies, including food, medicine, fuel and cooking oil, to enter the strip. Earlier this month, the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organisations Network (PNGO) warned that the situation in Gaza had reached an "advanced stage of famine", exacerbated by the bombing of food warehouses, water desalination plants, and the shutdown of community kitchens.
Economist
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Economist
The pope phoned a priest in Gaza every day
It was the deaths of a mother and daughter in December 2023 that shook the pope. The two Palestinian Christians were shot as they sought refuge in the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza City (Israel denied it was to blame). Some 700 people had packed into it, many from Gaza's Byzantine Orthodox church which had been hit by a missile weeks earlier, killing over a dozen. The next Sunday the pontiff addressed the crowds in St Peter's Square. 'They weren't terrorists, but families, children, people who are sick and have disabilities,' pleaded the pope. Enough, he said, calling on both sides to reach a ceasefire and on Hamas to release the hostages.
Middle East Eye
24-04-2025
- General
- Middle East Eye
Pope Francis was the leader Palestinian Christians needed
Not long ago, my cousin in Palestine located our grandfather's baptismal certificate, which states that he was baptised in a church in his Palestinian village in 1885. He lived an incredible life, witnessing two world wars and a sequence of Arab-Israeli wars, including Israel's occupation of the West Bank. A farmer who rode on horseback and rolled his own cigarettes, he contentedly cultivated his land and nurtured his olive trees - never leaving Palestine, even as several of his children migrated to the United States. I'm grateful to have this documentation and the certificate of his baptism, especially since Palestinian existence is always under attack. For Palestinian Christians, it's both laughable and offensive when people try to erase our community's presence in Palestine. Palestinian Christians are an important minority who have been betrayed not by Palestinian Muslims, but by Christian leaders around the globe. This is why the passing of Pope Francis hits us especially hard, because he was a rare western Christian leader who recognised and acknowledged our existence, both lovingly and compassionately. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Born in the US, I was exposed to several different denominations of Christianity before finally settling on one that felt right. Because hearing Arabic during church services mattered to my family, I was baptised into the Lebanese Maronite Church, but my family attended Orthodox services. I also attended Catholic school from kindergarten through the 12th grade, and I remember being fascinated by the nuns who ran our school, many of whom had traveled the world and served people in the poorest regions. They had a strength and resolve I couldn't help but admire. Compassion and spirituality I briefly attended an Orthodox church, but in my 30s, I was drawn to the Quakers, a denomination that met my spiritual needs. I liked their direct and practical approach to their faith. During Easter, I was reflecting on the Good Friday masses I used to attend, and how much they moved me. Although I spent time in various churches over the years, I always felt that Pope Francis was a special man, combining his logic and reason with compassion and spirituality. I am particularly saddened by his passing because as a Palestinian Christian, so many other 'Christian' leaders have utterly failed our small community. May we always remember that Christianity is, at its core, not about prosperity or power, but rather a religion of mercy Adamantly pro-Israel, they have been silent on the brutality of the Israeli military, its vicious occupation of Palestine, and its war on Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. They have contributed to the erasure of Palestinian Christians in the global conversation, framing the occupation of Palestine as a conflict between Jews and Muslims - some kind of medieval holy war. During a visit to a local church, which I attended not long ago out of curiosity, the pastor welcomed a special guest: another Christian pastor who lived in the Middle East, in a 'mostly Muslim country'. He had single-handedly, through the power of his faith, converted dozens of Muslims over to Christianity, we were told. The congregation burst into applause, and I walked out. By enthusiastically joining such casually Islamophobic conversations, many Christian leaders in the West have not only forgotten what the Bible teaches about love and compassion; they have also forgotten about us, the Christians of Palestine who have nurtured the faith for centuries and kept it alive. What a terrible betrayal, to know that people who support the genocide in Palestine attend mass every Sunday and 'pray for peace'. Held in the light Pope Francis was a rare leader who cut through the fog of war. How affirming it was to hear him speak about the horrors of what we watched on our phones and computers every day, listening to the shock in his voice as he described the bombing of children in their tents. I was startled to learn not long ago that it had become part of Pope Francis's evening routine to phone the Christians sheltering in Gaza - not to preach to them, but to let them know he was thinking of them. How simple. How compassionate. How Christian. For a community that has been forgotten and neglected by most of the world, including other Christians, this was a blessing indeed. Pope Francis remembered as 'dear friend' by the people of Gaza Read More » An essentially good man who was comfortable articulating the nuances of spirituality and the complexities of human life, the Pope never strayed from showing love and compassion to those who needed it most. He was not as progressive as many wanted him to be; I acknowledge this. But as a Palestinian Christian, to know that he spoke of us often - and did not back down from acknowledging our struggle - I saw how he bravely went further than any other leader of any western nation or church. I miss him, and I hold him in the light. We, the Palestinians who have baptised people into the faith for more than 2,000 years, are grateful for what Pope Francis did on earth to champion the oppressed. Christians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank have held masses in his memory. May we always remember that Christianity is, at its core, not about prosperity or power, but rather a religion of mercy. We have never needed this more than today. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
