Catholics Overseeing Gaza Church Send Message as New Pope Inherits War
By Tom O'Connor
The Catholic office overseeing the Gaza church with which the late Pope Francis communicated daily has shared with Newsweek a message following the selection of a new pontiff in the midst of the ongoing war.
"We are here to pray for and support our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, and we join the Church around the world in welcoming his leadership with faith and hope," Father Ibrahim Nino, director of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem's media office, told Newsweek.
"As His Holiness began his first address with the words 'peace and justice,' we are reminded that the Church will always stand with the poor and the suffering," he added. "Our mission continues in these difficult times: to serve everyone with compassion and a steadfast commitment to peace, justice, and human dignity."
Newsweek has reached out to the Latin Parish in Gaza and the Vatican for comment.
Gaza, mourns, Pope, Francis
Members of the clergy hold Mass for the late Pope Francis at the Holy Family Church in Gaza City on April 21, 2025. OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP/Getty Images
Building Upon A Legacy
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has jurisdiction over all Catholics in Cyprus, Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian territories, including Gaza and the West Bank. Its origins can be traced to the ancient Christian presence in the holy land dating to the first century C.E.
The minority presence of Christians in the region has gained new attention as a result of the deadliest-ever war of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict, sparked by an attack led by the Palestinian Hamas movement on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The attack killed about 1,200 people, with roughly 400 additional Israeli personnel dying in the ensuing war, according to Israeli officials. Hamas also abducted 251 people, 59 of whom remain in Gaza.
The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza has counted more than 52,500 deaths as a result of Israeli operations throughout the war. Thousands more have died in Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank because of the conflict that has spread across the Middle East, according to local and national authorities, monitors and media outlets.
The war has also led to widespread devastation in Gaza, home to the Holy Family Church, whose pastor, Father Ibrahim Romanelli, was in daily communication with Francis until his death on April 21.
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Francis was especially vocal about the plight of those suffering as a result of the conflict. He regularly called for a lasting ceasefire, including in his final address delivered on Easter Sunday, the day before his death.
Such comments at times drew backlash from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to continue operations until Hamas is eliminated, Gaza can no longer pose a threat to Israel and all hostages are returned.
Israel and Hamas had reached a first-stage truce in January, but the deal unraveled in March as Israel resumed attacks. The Israel Defense Forces announced on Thursday the "next phase" of operations with a need to "act with great force" and call up tens of thousands of reservists.
Pope Leo XIV greeting
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV greets onlookers from the main central loggia balcony of St. Peter's Basilica for the first time, in the Vatican, on May 8. TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images
World Awaits New Pope's Message
After two votes by the Holy See conclave, Robert Prevost was named the new pontiff, taking the name Pope Leo XIV as he became the first pope from the United States. He is also the second pope from the Western Hemisphere, following Francis, who was born in Argentina, and spent more than two decades of his religious service in Peru.
In his opening address, Leo XIV did not reference Gaza or any particular international issue, though his commitment to "peace" and "justice" was reminiscent of Francis' language. While viewed by some as less outwardly progressive as his predecessor on internal Catholic Church matters, Leo XIV has a history of promoting support for social justice issues around the world.
A Vatican spokesperson also confirmed to the Associated Press on Friday that the new pope's name was a reference to Pope Leo XIII, who led from 1871 until 1903 and pioneered what many consider to be the foundation for modern Catholic social teaching. The 1891 encyclical, known as rerum novarum ("of revolutionary change"), addressed labor rights, along with the risks posed by unrestricted capitalism and state-centric socialism in the first papal letter of its kind.
Meanwhile, Israel and Hamas have congratulated Leo XIV following his election.
"Congratulations to Pope Leo XIV and the Catholic community worldwide," Netanyahu said in a statement Friday. "I wish the first Pope from the United States success in fostering hope and reconciliation among all faiths."
A statement issued that same day by Hamas' media office said that the group "extends its warmest congratulations to Pope Leo XIV on his election as head of the Catholic Church, and wishes him success in carrying out his spiritual and humanitarian mission during these times of global tragedies and disasters; foremost among them the ongoing brutal Zionist aggression on our Palestinian people in Gaza."
Hamas referenced its appreciation for "the courageous humanitarian stances of the late Pope Francis, especially his repeated solidarity with the Palestinian people and his rejection of the occupation and its oppressive policies."
The group also said it would "look forward that Pope Leo XIV maintains this moral approach of supporting the oppressed, taking decisive action in international arenas to stop the genocide and ethnic cleansing committed by the Zionist occupation against defenseless children, women and civilians in Gaza, and ending the systematic violations against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Palestine."
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