The Holy Family Catholic Church of Gaza. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Mgr. Mariano Crociata, President of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), expresses deep emotion and grave concern at the news of the recent attack on the only Catholic Church in the Gaza Strip, which occurred today, Thursday 17 July 2025.
The news reached Mgr. Crociata while he is in Ukraine for a three-day visit to express solidarity with the Ukrainian people and Church, who remain deeply affected by the ongoing Russian military aggression. In a context already marked by suffering and violence, the news of the attack on the church in Gaza — which resulted in at least two deaths and four injuries — takes on even greater gravity.
The President of COMECE wished to express his deep closeness to the small Catholic community in Gaza, struck at a moment of extreme vulnerability. “We do not yet know exactly what happened – he said – but I can say that such acts renew our sorrow at the spread of violence and compel us to reaffirm, with strength, our firm opposition to every form of war and armed conflict”.
Mgr. Crociata stressed that war, wherever it may unfold, is always a defeat for humanity and a wound to the dignity of every person. “This brief message – he added – is born in the heart of a journey lived alongside a people who have long borne the weight of war. For this reason, with even greater conviction, I join the cry of those who call for peace and for respect of every human life, wherever it may be.”
“From Ukraine, where we are experiencing the evil and absurdity of war and its terrible consequences, I wish to send a heartfelt message of closeness and solidarity to the Christian community in Gaza, and to raise our voice for the end of war and for respect towards the Palestinian people”, concluded Mons. Crociata.
COMECE will continue to closely monitor the evolving situation and to support all initiatives that may contribute to a just, genuine and lasting peace — in Ukraine as well as in the Holy Land.
The visit to Ukraine began on 16 July and will conclude tomorrow.