Patriarchs of Jerusalem visit Gaza's wounded faithful

Starting on June 22, Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, began a pastoral visit to Gaza aimed at healing the wounds of thousands of men, women, and children worn down by the atrocities of war.

The two were accompanied by Dr. Josef Blotz, Grand Hospitaller of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, and representatives of Malteser International, the Order’s humanitarian organization, which operates in many regions around the world.

In a statement, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said the visit “expresses the pastoral responsibility of the Churches of Jerusalem toward the local churches and toward the whole population of Gaza, where families continue to endure grave humanitarian suffering, fear, loss, and uncertainty.”

It also emphasized the indispensable value of prayer in a context devastated by suffering—one that seems to drain all hope.

“The presence of His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III and His Beatitude Cardinal Pizzaballa carries the prayer of Jerusalem to Gaza’s wounded faithful and to all who suffer, in a ministry of consolation, mercy and steadfast Christian witness rooted in the Gospel and in the sacred vocation of the Holy City.”