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Catholic Leaders Join Pope Leo Condemning Israel Strikes On The Only Catholic Church In The Heart Of Gaza

Articles | July 17, 2025 | by Catholics for Catholics

Israel strikes against holy family, the only Catholic Church in the heart of Gaza, left at least three dead and several wounded, including a priest

Catholics For Catholics | July 17, 2025

On Thursday July 17, 2025, at around 10:20 a.m., Israel bombed Holy Family, the only Catholic Church located in the heart of the Gaza Strip, leaving at least three dead and nearly a dozen wounded, including Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, an Argentine missionary priest from the Institute of the Incarnate Word and the parish pastor.

The Patriarchate of Jerusalem immediately issued a statement reporting and condemning the attack:

“The people in the Holy Family Compound are people who found in the Church a sanctuary—hoping that the horrors of war might at least spare their lives, after their homes, possessions, and dignity had already been stripped away. On behalf of the entire Church of the Holy Land, we extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families, and from here, we offer our prayers for the swift and full recovery of the wounded.

…The Latin Patriarchate strongly condemns this tragedy and this targeting of innocent civilians and of a sacred place. However, this tragedy is not greater or more terrible than the many others that have befallen Gaza. Many other innocent civilians have also been harmed, displaced and killed. Death, suffering and destruction are everywhere…”

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, also spoke to Vatican News and appealed to world leaders “to raise their voices and to do all that is necessary in order to stop this tragedy which is humanly and morally unjustified.”

At the same time, Pope Leo also expressed his condolences and an urgent call for peace in a statement: “I am deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack on the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza. I assure the parish community of my spiritual closeness. I commend the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of Almighty God, and pray for their families and the injured. I renew my call for an immediate ceasefire. Only dialogue and reconciliation can ensure enduring peace!”

For its part, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) initially said that the damage caused to the Holy Church in Gaza was under review. Later they published on X that the strikes on the Church were “unintentional and a mistake”:

“An initial inquiry into reports regarding injured individuals in the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, suggests that fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly. The cause of the incident is under review. The IDF directs its strikes solely at military targets and makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and religious structures, and regrets any unintentional damage caused to them.”

Various media outlets and Catholic leaders have reacted to this tragedy and the unjustifiable statements made by the Israeli government. The same Cardinal Pizzaballa expressed doubt and went on to say: “What we know for sure is that a tank, the IDF says by mistake, but we are not sure about this, they hit the church directly, the Church of the Holy Family, the Latin Church. We don’t have complete information about what has happened in Gaza today because the communication in Gaza is not that simple.”

Also, John Yep, president of Catholics For Catholics, expressed forcefully in a statement:

“Americans awoke this morning to the shocking news that the State of Israel attacked one of the last Catholic Churches in Gaza killing 3 people. Even the parish priest himself along with dozens of others fell wounded from the barrage of steel that rained down without warning.”

He continued: “Every Christian in America should be outraged. Veterans of the 1967 USS Liberty attack by Israel would probably agree that the weak excuse from the IDF that this may have been a “mistake” does not pass the smell test. As a predominantly Christian nation, we at Catholics for Catholics ask fellow Christian and Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huccabee, to hold those responsible accountable as this isn’t the first time a Catholic Church has been targeted like this. Those who remain silent with this and the continued innocent shootings of the Gazan people standing in line waiting for food are complicit in this evil. We thank the Holy Father, Pope Leo for taking such a strong and immediate stance on this as he leads us in praying for peace in the region.”

The skepticism over the official statement by the Israeli government is also based on the fact that several of the missiles that struck Holy Family appeared to have directly targeted the parish Cross. The images even show the front roof destroyed, but the imposing Cross remained intact, giving the impression that the missiles missed their target.

“After Israel’s direct attack on the Holy Family, the only Catholic Church in Gaza, THE CROSS STILL STANDS” posted Catholics For Catholics on X.

Today’s attack on the small Christian community in Gaza, where Catholics, Orthodox Christians and even Muslim civilians, have taken refuge, hasn’t been the only one. Throughout this brutal war, Father Romelli has been reporting on the various Israeli offensives, such as the one in December 2024, in which he narrated in a video about the bombing of the parish’s electrical generator (the Holy Family), which caused a fire, and part of the building that housed disabled children and people on ventilators, which stopped working after losing power. In each statement, Father Romelli urges the Universal Church to continue praying for the Christians in Gaza: “Offer prayers and sacrifices for the end of the war.”

The situation in Gaza is heartbreaking, not only for the few Christians living there, but for all civilians, including thousands of innocent children, women, and men, victims of Israel’s war on Gaza since the Hamas attack on Israeli soil on October 7th, 2024.

Despite being in mortal danger, the Catholic community in Gaza continues to attend Holy Mass and pray the Rosary daily at the Holy Family Church.

“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church” Tertullian.

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