Top photo caption: Father Gabriel Romanelli, pastor of Holy Family Church in Gaza City, lights a candle Dec. 22, 2024. In a video posted on his X account April 6, 2026, Father Romanelli said on Easter, he received a message from Pope Leo XIV who “has been constantly in contact with us, through messages and at times, through phone calls.” OSV News photo/courtesy Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
By Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV News
OSV News – Pope Leo XIV sent Easter greetings to Catholics in Gaza as they celebrate Easter amid the fear and uncertainty of war, said Father Gabriel Romanelli, pastor of Holy Family Parish.
In a video posted on his X account April 6, Father Romanelli said on Easter, he received a message from the Pope who “has been constantly in contact with us, through messages and at times, through phone calls.”
Pope Leo, he said, has often “sent his blessings and we know – and he tells us – his constant prayers for us and his concern for everything that is happening. The Pope’s prayers and his blessing are a great blessing for this community.”
As Gaza’s sole Catholic Church, the parish community has long received the attention of the Vatican, especially from Pope Leo XIV and his predecessor, Pope Francis, after Israel launched its war in the area in retaliation for the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants.
Despite its aim to attack Hamas, Israel had been criticized for its attacks against Palestinian civilians. According to a recent report by the UNRWA, the United Nations’ Palestinian relief agency, more than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip and nearly 172,000 have been injured between Oct. 7, 2023, and March 25, 2026.
The parish was also struck in 2025 when an Israeli tank fired on the Church, killing three people and injuring nine, including Father Romanelli, who sustained a leg injury in the attack.
Throughout Holy Week, Father Romanelli chronicled the Holy Week celebrations in Gaza City. In a separate video published on Easter, April 5, Father Romanelli said that despite the circumstances, Catholics in Gaza were happy because “Jesus is risen, and we’re convinced that Jesus’ resurrection is the cause of our spiritual and physical resurrection which is the fullness of salvation that will come to our body and soul.”
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