Gaza Carries ‘Message of Resilience’ over Devastation – Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem

December 25, 2025 News
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, at the Holy Family Parish in Gaza. (Photo: via Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem)

The cardinal vowed that Gaza’s residents, like those in Bethlehem, would “continue to celebrate every day and return to rebuild everything anew.”

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, said on Wednesday that the Gaza Strip carries “a message of resilience and hope” despite widespread destruction caused by Israel’s two-year genocidal assault on the enclave, the Anadolu news agency reported.

“Our hearts today are with Gaza, where there is total destruction,” Pizzaballa said in comments upon arrival in the West Bank city of Bethlehem to lead a midnight Christmas Mass.

“Yet despite everything, its people still have a passion for life, a will to rejoice and a refusal to surrender,” he added.

‘We Will Celebrate’

Christian denominations that follow the Western calendar mark Christmas with a midnight Mass on December 24–25, while churches that follow the Eastern calendar celebrate on January 7.

Pizzaballa said Gaza’s residents, like those in Bethlehem, would begin again despite the devastation.

“We will celebrate in Gaza and in Bethlehem. We will continue to celebrate every day and return to rebuild everything anew,” he added.

‘True Christmas’ in Bethlehem

More than 71,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed and over 171,000 others injured in a brutal Israeli war since October 2023 that also left the enclave in ruins. The Israeli army and illegal settlers also killed at least 1,103 Palestinians and wounded nearly 11,000 others in the West Bank during the same period.

Gaza, like Bethlehem, “carries a message of steadfastness and hope,” Pizzaballa said, emphasizing that faith in life and peace is stronger than destruction.

“Today is a true Christmas here in Bethlehem, and from here the message of Bethlehem and the Holy Land goes out to the entire world,” he said.

Palestinian Official Barred

Earlier Wednesday, Israeli occupation authorities barred Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh from attending the midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity.

Under Rubble and Candlelight: Gaza’s Christmas after Genocide

Bethlehem, revered as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, is a major spiritual and tourist center that draws Christian pilgrims each December for Christmas celebrations and visits to the Church of the Nativity, a site built over a grotto believed by Christian tradition to be where Mary gave birth to Jesus.

Staggering Death Toll

Starting on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military, with American support, launched a genocidal war against the people of Gaza. This campaign has so far resulted in the deaths of close to 71,000 Palestinians, with more than 170,000 wounded. The vast majority of the population has been displaced, and the destruction of infrastructure is unprecedented since World War II. Thousands of people are still missing.

Forced Displacement and Hunger Persist as Gaza Conditions Continue to Deteriorate

In addition to the military assault, the Israeli blockade has caused a man-made famine, leading to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians—mostly children—with hundreds of thousands more at risk.

Despite widespread international condemnation, little has been done to hold Israel accountable. The nation is currently under investigation for genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.

(PC, Anadolu)

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