Day of fasting and prayer for peace: the continuous prayer of Christians in Gaza

Today is a day of prayer, fasting and abstinence for peace in the Holy Land, promoted by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Card. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, announced on October 11 in a note on behalf of the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land. It read: “Once again we find ourselves in the midst of a political and military crisis. Everything seems to speak of death. Yet, in this time of sorrow and dismay, we do not want to remain helpless. We feel the need to pray, to turn our hearts to God the Father.” This was followed by an invitation to all members of the Patriarchal Diocese, which covers Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus, to observe the day today, Tuesday October 17. The invitation was immediately echoed by the Italian Bishops’ Presidency, which made a similar appeal to its dioceses, in communion with those of the Latin Patriarchate, to “offer to God the Father our thirst for peace, justice and reconciliation.”

Continuous prayer from Gaza... The small Christian community of the Gaza Strip, a little over 1,000 Christians (about a hundred of whom are Catholics, Ed.'s note.) out of a population of 2.3 million, gathered in a continuous prayer for peace throughout the past few days. They have decided that they will remain. They will not leave for the south of the Strip, as the Israeli army, which is reportedly preparing a ground offensive, has advised. They all gathered at the Catholic parish of the Holy Family in the al-Zaytoun neighbourhood, where some 500 displaced people are being housed, and at the Greek Orthodox parish of Saint Porphyrios. “Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest in Gaza, told SIR: “Last night was rather quiet. I have just spoken to Father Yusuf. He told me that everyone in the parish is in good health. Our faithful in Gaza will also participate in the day, offering their suffering caused by the war and what little they have.” From Bethlehem, where he is stranded because of the war and anxious to be reunited with his faithful, Father Romanelli sent a message for this Day of Prayer in which he recalls that

“Fasting, abstinence and prayer are very important because they allow us to raise together our plea for peace and our cry against war.”

The priest also called for “the opening of humanitarian corridors necessary for the well-being of thousands of civilians, an end to the bombing of Gaza, freedom for the prisoners and medical care for the thousands of wounded. We boldly call for peace in Gaza, in the whole of Palestine and in Israel, so that a ray of hope may open up for all our peoples.” “Last night was rather quiet. Yesterday there was a warning of Israeli bombing here in the area - Sister Maria del Pilar told SIR. Here in the parish we heard the rumble of the bombs, but thank God we had no problems. Everyone is well and we began the day praying for peace, as requested by our Patriarch, Card. Pizzaballa.”

“Every day the faithful come to the Church to attend Holy Mass, to pray the Rosary, to adore the Blessed Sacrament, all with the same wish: an end to all violence, an end to the bombardments, for peace. An incessant chant of peace,” Sister Nabila Saleh, a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Rosary in Jerusalem, told SIR. Last night, at around 9pm, as bombs fell in the area near the parish, the nun said: “They are bombing and we go to the church to pray. Only there do we feel safe, next to Jesus.” These words were repeated many times during these days of war.

The echoes of the war... All around the parish, the war continues to rage: Israel carried out 200 strikes against Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist targets in the past 24 hours. The raids, which hit 250 Hamas command centres and ammunition depots, were also launched from naval vessels, the military said. At least 70 people were killed and dozens wounded. The army later announced that Osama Mazini, head of the Hamas Shura Council (the movement's political-religious leadership), responsible for the organisation's hostages and coordinator of terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians, had been killed. After an 11-hour break, rocket attacks from Gaza on communities in southern Israel near the Strip resumed. Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts are under way: US President Biden is due to visit Netanyahu in Israel on Wednesday. A humanitarian aid plan for Gaza is being developed, according to Secretary of State Blinken. Biden will also travel to Jordan to meet Abu Mazen. Talks are underway between Netanyahu and Putin, who has arrived in China. Yesterday the Russian president consulted Arab countries. He called for a ceasefire in the Middle East.
Daniele Rocchi