In Gaza, a small parish mourns their friend, the Pope

Christians around the world are mourning the death of Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21. But in the Gaza Strip, the local Christian community is not just mourning the loss of a religious leader, but the loss of a friend and someone they called “a true father.”

Universally hailed as a champion of the oppressed and the marginalized, the late Pope demonstrated his commitment to this reputation during the past 18 months of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. It has been widely reported that he made regular and near-daily calls to the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza and that he roundly condemned Israel’s actions, describing them as “terrorism” with “the characteristics of a genocide.” 

George Anton, head of the emergency committee of the Holy Family Church, tells Mondoweiss that Pope Francis never failed to contact them during the long months of the war. The pontiff’s calls were “a daily necessity” for parishioners, Anton describes, because “he was a true father to every person in the Gaza Strip, a father who cares and shows concern for his children.” 

At the start of the genocide, Palestinian Christians in Gaza sought refuge at Gaza’s oldest church, the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius, which dates back to the 5th century. But after it was bombed on October 20, 2023, killing 17 people, including Christian and Muslim families, the rest of Gaza’s Christian population sought refuge at the Holy Family Catholic Church for the rest of the war.

“When we knew the Pope was on the phone, we felt happy and secure that he was with us,” Anton says. “He always asked about the elderly, the children, the women, our food and drink, asked if we had medicine and hospitals. He would say, ‘I pray for you, and you pray for me.’ He would also ask about the people in the streets, whether aid was getting in and reaching us or not, everything.”

Christians in Gaza were in such close contact with Pope Francis that many didn’t believe the news of his death, thinking it was just a rumor, despite knowing that he was in ill health. 

“On [Easter] Sunday, he appeared to the world, congratulated Christians, and mentioned the people of Gaza in his speech. We couldn’t believe he had passed away,” Anton says.

“It has never happened in the history of the Church that a Pope would call a small parish located far away every day for 16 months to reassure them that he is with them in this war,” Anton says. “If he could be with us, he would come. He sent the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem to visit us twice during the war.”

‘Gaza was among his last words’

The Pope’s short calls left a mark on many parishioners in the Church, says Laila Anton, a member of the flock. “We would finish our prayers and wait for the usual daily call, which often occurred in the evening around 8:00 p.m.,” Anton tells Mondoweiss. “It gave us the strength to endure the difficult conditions we were experiencing.”

Laila Anton says that Pope Francis’s voice symbolized resilience in Gaza and assuaged their fear of the constant bombardment. “We felt at ease, and his voice made us forget the sound of the planes and the bombs, even if only for a few minutes,” she says. “Gaza was among his last words.”

Pope Francis’s teachings were not limited to those inside the Church. According to Father Gabriele Romanelli, the priest in charge of the Holy Family Church in Gaza, the number of displaced Christians in the Church has reached 500.

“Pope Francis always asked us to protect children and vulnerable people needing help,” Father Romanelli tells Mondoweiss. “Thanks to the support of the Catholic Church, thousands of families in the Gaza Strip are receiving aid.”

“Pope Francis was responsible for more than a billion Catholics worldwide, yet he was keen to connect with this small parish,” Father Romanelli adds. “This is evidence of his love and concern for us.”