The Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal
Pierbattista Pizzaballa, crossed into the Gaza Strip on Sunday
morning, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem said.
Cardinal Pizzaballa "entered the Gaza Strip this morning and
reached the compound of the Holy Family parish church for a
visit of solidarity and the celebration of Christmas", said the
patriarchate, referring to the only Catholic church in the Gaza
Strip.
Cardinal Piazzaballa told worshippers at the Holy Family parish
church that they would not be left alone.
"We will never abandon you", he said during his sermon.
"Don't be afraid", the cardinal repeated and "preserve your
hearts", "together we recall that Jesus is here with you".
"I bring you the solidarity of the whole Church", "you have in
some way become the light of our Church and Christmas is indeed
the celebration of light" and "in this situation too we must see
the sense of our lives".
"Create relations, don't surrender to this situation", continued
the cardinal, assuring that "people from all over the world, not
only Christians, are with you".
"So you can also give something because the whole world is
watching.
"It is necessary to choose whether to belong to the light or
darkness, to Jesus or to someone else.
"We are proud of you, not because of something special, but
because you have remained what you are: Christians with Jesus.
"We will bring with us the light of Jesus from here", concluded
Pizzaballa, who administered confirmation to a group of youths.
On Saturday evening, Israel's embassy to the Holy See denied
reports published by the media earlier in the day that the
Patriarch had not been granted access to Gaza, writing on X that
the Patriarch's request to enter had been accepted, as had
previously occurred in the past.
Pope Francis on Saturday morning had been reported as saying
that the Patriarch had not been allowed to enter the Gaza Strip
during his Christmas address to the Catholic cardinals who head
the Vatican's departments.
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