Christians in Gaza pay tribute to Pope Francis

DW (English)

Christians in Gaza City feel an emotional bond with Pope Francis, who communicated with a local parish priest on a daily basis. His concern encouraged people to preserve their faith amid the ongoing war.

Transcript

00:01The Catholic parish of the Holy Family in the heart of Gaza City.

00:06Amid the ongoing Israeli bombardment,

00:08the small Christian community gathers for a mass in memory of Pope Francis.

00:16The Pope has been following the war closely

00:18and has spoken out about the devastating situation of civilians in Gaza.

00:23He made it a habit to call the parish priest Father Gabriel.

00:27The last time they spoke was on Saturday to give his blessings.

00:34He called us daily during the war, even on the darkest days,

00:38under bombardment, when people were being killed and wounded around us.

00:42The communication was constant, day and night.

00:47Sometimes, because of the difficult situation in Gaza,

00:50it would take three or four hours of trying before the call finally got through.

00:54Despite the amount of work and responsibility he had.

00:59But he never gave up, until he reached us and delivered his message every day.

01:07The people here say it has given them tremendous support.

01:11Most have been living here on the church compound since the war began.

01:15Christians in Gaza will feel the loss of the great paternal tenderness,

01:24that always embraced Gaza and never wavered.

01:28We will miss Pope Francis.

01:30We will miss his personal love for each of us.

01:32We will miss his fatherly concern,

01:34always calling us and asking each one of us about everything in our lives.

01:41He gave us compassion and strength and took away our fears.

01:46We will miss all of this.

01:48It came as a shock, especially after we had heard that his health had partially improved,

02:00following his release from hospital.

02:03Just the day before, his aide spoke on his behalf in St. Peter's Square,

02:08delivering a message of peace and calling for a complete ceasefire in Gaza.

02:13His final words were about Gaza, a place that held a unique and special place in his heart.

02:27With the death of Pope Francis, one of the voices for peace in Gaza has fallen silent,

02:34as the war continues with full force.

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