Translation of the caption : "On the occasion of Christmas, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa visited the graves of Nahida Antoun and her daughter Samar Antoun, who were killed by an Israeli lone gunman on December 16, 2023, at the Catholic Church of the Holy Family in Gaza."

On 16 December 2023, two Palestinian Christians, Nahida Khalil Anton and her daughter Samar Kamal Anton, were shot and killed while they were walking inside the grounds of the Holy Family Church to go to the bathroom by an Israeli sniper. When the website of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem condemned the killing of the two women on 16 December, the Israeli ambassador to the Vatican lashed back, accusing the patriarchate of engaging in blood libel.

Context of the Cardinal visit

On December 22, 2024, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, entered Gaza for the fourth Sunday of Advent to celebrate Mass with the small Christian community in the enclave with the parish priest Father Gabriel Romanelli. This visit, his second since October 7, 2023, allowed him to preside over pre-Christmas mass and administer the sacrament of Confirmation. Cardinal Pizzaballa emphasized that Gaza's Christians have become a symbol of hope and light for the global Church.

His visit comes after Pope Francis accused the IDF of preventing his entry, though the army denies this.

In his homily, Cardinal Pizzaballa encouraged Gaza’s Christian community to remain rooted in Jesus to endure the ongoing conflict, emphasizing that faith in Christ provides the strength to face adversity. He highlighted the failure of human promises and the persistence of violence but urged the people to find hope in their faith. Confident that the war would end, he reassured the community that they would rebuild schools, hospitals, and homes.

The Cardinal also emphasized the importance of resisting hatred, urging Gaza’s Christians to preserve unity and faith in Christ. He called on them to remain firm in their beliefs, praying for the end of the war, and to witness Christ's light to the world, showing that they belong to the light of Christ, not to darkness or violence.

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