The small Christian community of Gaza is crying the death of Pope Franciswho had maintained a close video contact with the Palestinian devotees the war This continues to devastate the enclave.
Since the outbreak of the struggle between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, Francis had regularly called The Christians of GazaOften several times a week, offering sentences, stimulus and solidarity.
« I always waited to hear the words of the Holy Father. He would see him on television and through screens. He gave us hope with his messages and prayers, » said Elias al-Sayegh, 49, from Zeitoun.
« We felt we were alive for his prayers and blessings. Every day, our hope was renewed to end the war and blood spill. His prayers would remain with us for peace in the land of peace, Palestine. »
« Hopefully he could participate in the prayers in the Church of the Nativity and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, » he added, referring to the ancient churches of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.
« With the passage of the pope, in Gaza we feel as if a light of love and peace had been extinguished, » said George Ayad, 67, from Al-Sahaba.
« Although the Vatican is far away, his voice always reached our heart; he never stopped calling peace and justice.
« In the midst of the pain and the suffocating blockade we endured, we clung to his words as a lighthouse of hope. The pope never forgot Gaza in his prayers, and today we offer ours for his soul. »
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