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The Journal
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Journal
Young man injured in Israeli attack on Catholic church in Gaza says ‘love is stronger than war'
A YOUNG MAN who was seriously injured in an Israeli attack on Gaza's only Catholic parish has said he hopes he can 'start his life again after the attack'. On Thursday, an Israeli tank attacked the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, which the late Pope Francis called daily. Over 600 people, both Christians and Muslims, are sheltered in the parish within its church and school – the majority are children and 54 have additional needs. Image of the damaged Holy Family Catholic church in Gaza Three people were killed and ten others were injured in the attack, including the parish priest Father Gabriel Romanelli. Suhail Abo Dawood, a young Catholic student from Gaza, was also seriously injured. From Gaza, he contributes to L'Osservatore Romano with his column: 'I write to you from Gaza.' L'Osservatore Romano is the daily newspaper of Vatican City. His most recent column on 8 July was titled 'Love Is Stronger Than War'. In a video message from his hospital bed, he repeated this message to L'Osservatore Romano's Jerusalem correspondent, Roberto Cetera. Suhail is a young Catholic student from Gaza, seriously wounded in the Israeli attack on the Holy Family parish on Thursday. He writes a column for L'Osservatore Romano, the Holy See's newspaper. Although Suhail sustained shrapnel wounds to his internal organs during… — Vatican News (@VaticanNews) July 19, 2025 He sustained shrapnel wounds to his internal organs during Thursday's attack, but the shrapnel has now been removed and his condition has improved. He said he is feeling 'much better than yesterday' and thanked people for their prayers and messages. 'I hope I can start my life again and continue my vocation in Italy.' He added: 'As always, love is stronger than war.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed regret for the deaths, which he blamed on a 'stray' round after a phone call with US President Donald Trump. Advertisement However, the top Catholic official in the Middle East questioned whether is was a mistake. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, told Vatican News the IDF claimed that the strike by a tank was 'by mistake'. However, he added: 'We are not sure about this, they hit the church directly.' Catholic media outlet The Pillar reports that a tank was allegedly involved in the attack, and reporters in Gaza have reported that a drone strike had also taken place. Cardinal Pizzaballa told The Pillar that he is 'not sure' whether the attack was entirely accidental. In a social media post, Israel claimed it 'never targets churches or religious sites and regrets any harm to a religious site or to uninvolved civilians'. Cardinal Pizzaballa also said the church compound had been a 'sanctuary' where people hoped to escape the 'horrors of the war'. El párroco argentino Gabriel Romanelli fue herido luego de que atacaran la iglesia Sagrada Familia en Gaza. El bombardeo dejó a dos muertos y cuatro heridos. 📹 Vía: @CatholicArena — Corta (@somoscorta) July 17, 2025 Yesterday, he brought with tonnes of food aid, first aid kits and medical equipment for the Holy Family Church community and other families in need. He also assisted in evacuating people injured in the attack. Pope Leo XIV spoke to Netanyahu on the phone yesterday morning and is said to have 'repeated his appeal for a renewed push for negotiations, a ceasefire and an end to the war'. 'He again expressed his concern about the tragic humanitarian situation for the population of Gaza, whose children, elderly and sick are paying an agonising price,' said the Holy See press office. The late Pope Francis had been in daily contact with the Holy Family Church since 9 October, 2023, two days after the bombings began in Gaza. Francis continued to hold these calls during his extensive hospitalisation prior to his death in April. The late pontiff described the parish community as 'very courageous' and he used his final public address to call for an end to the 'deplorable humanitarian situation' in Gaza. Francis also described some Israeli actions in Gaza as 'terrorism' in his memoir. Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 58,765 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in Gaza. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Herald Malaysia
05-07-2025
- General
- Herald Malaysia
Pope Leo dialogues with children: "Build bridges from an early age"
Pope Leo has a dialogue with children participating in the Vatican's summer camp who gathered with him yesterday in the Paul VI Hall. With them also a group of around 300 young students from Ukraine, hosted in Italy by Caritas for the summer. Jul 05, 2025 Pope Leo XIV during his dialogue with children of the Vatican summer camp (@VATICAN MEDIA) By L'Osservatore Romano"Even as children, we can learn to be builders of bridges and seek opportunities to help others." This is the conviction of Pope Leo XIV, who, in response to questions from children he met yesterday in the Vatican, encouraged them to seek friendship with Jesus by attending Mass, welcoming those who are different, and committing themselves to building peace. The occasion was a midday visit to the Paul VI Hall, where more than 300 participants in the Vatican's annual summer camp program had gathered, joined shortly beforehand by an equal number of children from Ukraine hosted by Caritas Italiana. Responding to three questions posed by three children representing various age groups, the Pope engaged in an informal dialogue with those present. One of the event's leaders introduced the initiative, now in its sixth year. Coordinated by Salesian priest Father Franco Fontana and organized in a similar way to the youth centers of St. John Bosco. The theme for discussions at the summer camp looks at how to help children overcome prejudice in a time when it's increasingly difficult to talk, connect, and share words, thoughts, and even playtime with others. Attending Mass as a child The first question came from Giulia, who asked if the Pope went to Mass as a child. "Of course!" he answered enthusiastically. "Always, every Sunday, with Mom and Dad." He then shared memories from his childhood in Chicago: "Around age six, I was also an altar server in my parish. Before going to school — it was a parish school — we would attend 6:30 a.m. Mass. Mom always woke us up saying, 'Let's go to Mass.'" Serving at Mass was something he truly enjoyed. "From an early age, I was taught that Jesus is always near, that He is your best friend, and Mass was a way to find that friend, to be with Jesus — even before my First Communion." Pope Leo also recalled that back then Mass was in Latin: "We had to learn Latin for Mass, but then it changed to English for me since I was born and raised in the U.S." However, he emphasized, "What mattered wasn't the language of the celebration, but the experience of being with other kids serving Mass, the friendship, and that closeness to Jesus in the Church. It was always something beautiful." Building bridges Next came a question from Edoardo, who, referring to the summer camp's theme, asked how children can welcome those who are different. The Pope greeted the Ukrainian group in English, noting, "Experiences like this — meeting people from different countries, lands, languages, with so many differences between us — are very important." He encouraged the children to embrace "the experience of encounter, of meeting one another, of mutual respect, and learning to be friends with one another." Switching back to Italian for the rest of the group, he reminded them that Ukraine is 'a land that is suffering greatly because of the war.' Speaking to the challenges of communication due to language differences, he acknowledged, "Yes, it can be hard to understand each other." But he emphasized that when there is an opportunity to meet someone different, it is vital to learn mutual respect. "Don't focus on the differences," he said. "See how to live an encounter with respect — to build bridges, build friendship, recognize that we can all be friends, brothers, sisters. That way, we can walk together and move forward." The Pope admitted this isn't always easy: "Sometimes it takes special effort, because we think, 'He's not like me, she's different, doesn't speak like me… looks different…'" Still, he stressed the need to "learn to respect each other, to know that we can live together as friends." Working for peace Finally, Damiano returned to the topic of the conflict in Ukraine, asking what young people can do to build peace. The Pope responded that "even from a young age, we can all learn to be builders of peace and friendship." He offered practical advice: "Don't go to war, don't get into fights, never promote hatred. There are many small things even for you — like when you look at someone and think, 'I like those shoes, and I don't have them…' and then you feel envy or something unpleasant in your heart." Instead, he said, "Jesus calls us to learn to be friends, brothers and sisters to all. In that experience, whether we are Italian, American, Ukrainian — whatever our country — we are all sons and daughters of God." He urged them to learn from childhood "to have mutual respect," to "see the other as someone like me," and to understand that "they're not so different. 'They speak another language; I can't talk to them' — that's not true! There are also gestures. There are ways to approach the other. You can share a bit of bread, find a way to help." Pope Leo XIV concluded, "Even the smallest can start seeking opportunities to be promoters of peace, promoters of friendship and love among all."--Vatican News
02-07-2025
- General
Cardinal Luis Pascual Dri, Argentine friar held up by Pope Francis as model confessor, dies at 98
ROME -- Cardinal Luis Pascual Dri, the Argentine priest whom Pope Francis held up as the model confessor, has died in Buenos Aires at age 98, the Vatican said Wednesday. Dri, a Capuchin friar, died Monday in the Argentine capital, where his funeral was being celebrated Wednesday, the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano said. Dri was made a cardinal by Francis in 2023 at the age of 96 in recognition of his lifetime of work hearing confessions of the faithful and dispensing merciful absolutions. Up until his death, he worked as the confessor at the Our Lady of Pompeii parish in Buenos Aires. Francis frequently referred to Dri during his pontificate and held him up as a model confessor for other priests, urging them to always be merciful in the confessional. For Francis, the sacrament of reconciliation was particularly important and he urged priests to always pardon those who seek forgiveness. He once quoted Dri as saying he was so willing to dispense absolutions because God himself 'gave me a bad example' in forgiving all his sins. Pope Leo XIV, who was made a cardinal during the same consistory as Dri, issued a message of condolences Wednesday signed by the Vatican secretary of state. In it, he recalled Dri as a 'devoted pastor, who was so dear to Pope Francis, and who for so many years gave his life to the service of God and the church as a confessor.'
Hamilton Spectator
02-07-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Cardinal Luis Pascual Dri, Argentine friar held up by Pope Francis as model confessor, dies at 98
ROME (AP) — Cardinal Luis Pascual Dri, the Argentine priest whom Pope Francis held up as the model confessor, has died in Buenos Aires at age 98, the Vatican said Wednesday. Dri, a Capuchin friar, died Monday in the Argentine capital, where his funeral was being celebrated Wednesday, the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano said. Dri was made a cardinal by Francis in 2023 at the age of 96 in recognition of his lifetime of work hearing confessions of the faithful and dispensing merciful absolutions. Up until his death, he worked as the confessor at the Our Lady of Pompeii parish in Buenos Aires. Francis frequently referred to Dri during his pontificate and held him up as a model confessor for other priests, urging them to always be merciful in the confessional. For Francis, the sacrament of reconciliation was particularly important and he urged priests to always pardon those who seek forgiveness. He once quoted Dri as saying he was so willing to dispense absolutions because God himself 'gave me a bad example' in forgiving all his sins. Pope Leo XIV , who was made a cardinal during the same consistory as Dri, issued a message of condolences Wednesday signed by the Vatican secretary of state. In it, he recalled Dri as a 'devoted pastor, who was so dear to Pope Francis, and who for so many years gave his life to the service of God and the church as a confessor.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
02-07-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Cardinal Luis Pascual Dri, Argentine friar held up by Pope Francis as model confessor, dies at 98
ROME (AP) — Cardinal Luis Pascual Dri, the Argentine priest whom Pope Francis held up as the model confessor, has died in Buenos Aires at age 98, the Vatican said Wednesday. Dri, a Capuchin friar, died Monday in the Argentine capital, where his funeral was being celebrated Wednesday, the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano said. Dri was made a cardinal by Francis in 2023 at the age of 96 in recognition of his lifetime of work hearing confessions of the faithful and dispensing merciful absolutions. Up until his death, he worked as the confessor at the Our Lady of Pompeii parish in Buenos Aires. Francis frequently referred to Dri during his pontificate and held him up as a model confessor for other priests, urging them to always be merciful in the confessional. For Francis, the sacrament of reconciliation was particularly important and he urged priests to always pardon those who seek forgiveness. He once quoted Dri as saying he was so willing to dispense absolutions because God himself 'gave me a bad example' in forgiving all his sins. Pope Leo XIV, who was made a cardinal during the same consistory as Dri, issued a message of condolences Wednesday signed by the Vatican secretary of state. In it, he recalled Dri as a 'devoted pastor, who was so dear to Pope Francis, and who for so many years gave his life to the service of God and the church as a confessor.' Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
