Parish priest in Gaza: ‘We have endured relentless Calvary for months’

By Sr Francine-Marie Cooper

“The situation continues to be extremely serious and is getting worse by the hour. Our Christians have faith and hope in the Essential, in Jesus Christ,” according to Father Gabriel Romanelli.

“They have been enduring a bitter ordeal for months,” he adds.

The priest of Gaza's only Catholic parish explains how the rest of the population feels deeply discouraged, as there are no visible signs of peace or an end to the violence and death.

In an interview with SIR, an Italian Catholic press agency, Father Romanelli deplores the terrible toll of the war: “This conflict has already left more than 32,000 dead, including 12,000 children. »

He himself has been stuck in Jerusalem since the war broke out on October 7, but he remains in constant contact with his parishioners in every possible way.

Members of the parish have been taking refuge for months in the parish compound with other displaced Christians, numbering around 600, who lost everything in the bombings.

A scene of despair

Fr. Romanelli spoke of the reports from Gaza that he received from his parochial vicar, Fr. Youssef Asaad, who remains in the parish.

“You can’t imagine the pain we are experiencing and the despair of the people,” the father said. Assad said.

He described the scene around the Gaza City parish, with mountains of rubble, garbage and burst sewers. The rain that continues to fall is on the one hand a blessing, but it worsens the hygienic conditions because it causes high humidity, intensifying the smell of the decomposing bodies still lying under the rubble.

“Despite everything,” adds the Father. Romanelli, “they pray every day for peace and offer their suffering and difficulties for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.”

Referring to his parish in Gaza, the priest said the kitchen had reopened, but it is still very dangerous for people to venture outside.

“Humanitarian aid,” he explains, “transported by the United States and other international countries, as well as by sea, did not reach everyone. It did not reach the parish . However, some parishioners managed to obtain flour, and the oven has started producing bread again. This is a great blessing for our displaced people. The Latin Patriarchate is also providing assistance. Our hope is that we can start again to cook twice a week.

Threat of famine

Once again, UNICEF, the United Nations children's agency, has responded to the dire humanitarian situation.

Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Adele Khodr says the world's inaction is shocking as children succumb to a slow death.

Oxfam, a British humanitarian agency, also sounded the alarm, speaking of “catastrophic levels of hunger in Gaza”.

According to Paolo Pezzati, Oxfam Italy's spokesperson for humanitarian crises: “Never before have we seen such a serious situation unfold in such a short time. In a few days, the population of northern Gaza will face a real famine, a situation that will also happen very soon in the south without a ceasefire and without an adequate humanitarian response.