Catholic Leaders in Holy Land Call for Prayer and Peace Amid Regional Conflict

Church leaders in the Holy Land reacted to a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that was announced on January 15, 2025. The deal followed several months of negotiations brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the United States. According to a report from NCR Online, it included an initial six-week ceasefire phase and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. The agreement still had to pass a vote in the Israeli parliament, a vote that Israel had delayed.

In a statement released January 16 by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land said they hoped the ceasefire “will mark an important end to the violence.” The same report quoted Father Francesco Patton, custos of the Holy Land, who criticized the international community for being “glaringly absent during these long months of war.” Church leaders also said the end of the war “does not mean the end of the conflict,” and called on both sides to address deep-rooted issues.

Gaza’s Civil Defense reported that Israeli strikes killed at least 77 Palestinians overnight, shortly after the deal was agreed, including 21 children and 25 women. The report did not describe the strikes further than that count. Father Gabriel Romanelli, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Gaza, said people were beginning to hope they could return to their homes.

A separate report from EWTN Vatican described a statement from the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land, which is composed of Catholic bishops in the region. The assembly issued a spiritual and humanitarian message amid what it described as the ongoing Middle East conflict. That report did not mention the ceasefire. Its plenary meeting, originally planned for Nazareth, was suspended because of security measures, and the members met online instead.

The statement said Christian faithful in the Holy Land have not resorted to violence, even in the most difficult circumstances. It called on the faithful to intensify prayers and sacrifices during Lent for world leaders and for true peace, a call to peacemaking (Matthew 5:9). The assembly also bid farewell to Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana, who had completed his service as apostolic nuncio in the Holy Land, and acknowledged Lebanese Maronite priest Father Pierre al-Rahi, who was killed in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon while carrying out pastoral duties.

Father Ibrahim Faltas of the Custody of the Holy Land called for an immediate halt to hostilities. He described Jerusalem as a silent city, nearly empty of pilgrims. Faltas said the ban on the Old City of Jerusalem prevented last Friday’s Way of the Cross prayer.