The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem publishes a video clip presenting the various initiatives it has taken since October 7, with the support of the universal Church, to help the many Palestinian Christian families affected by the war in the Holy Land.
By Lisa Zengarini
As the war between Israel and Hamas continues almost eleven months later, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem is calling on all donors to continue funding its efforts to support the local Christian community affected by the conflict.
After the Covid crisis, Christian families face new challenges
Since the outbreak of war on October 7, 2023, many Palestinian Christian families have faced new financial difficulties, having lost all their sources of income. With the support of the Universal Church, the Patriarchate has been able to provide these families with the assistance they desperately need.
In a video clip published on the Patriarchate’s website, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa recalls that the conflict is taking an unprecedented toll on the population, especially in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem: “Although conflicts are nothing new to us,” he says, “we have never experienced one that has lasted so long and had such a serious impact on the lives of the population.”
International donations to the Patriarchate
In the video clip, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem warmly thanks the private and institutional benefactors from all over the world who generously responded to his appeal for donations on November 2, 2023, thus making the Patriarchate’s relief efforts possible, including the distribution of food vouchers and the creation of jobs for those who have lost their jobs due to the war.
Distribution of food vouchers and job creation
The video states: “279 people, men and women, have found stable and long-term employment in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, 12,000 families have received food vouchers and assistance with rent, medical care and schooling for their children. In Gaza, the Latin Patriarchate is supporting the more than 1,000 Christian believers who have found refuge in the Latin Parish of the Holy Family in Gaza City with financial assistance and food and fuel deliveries. In addition, 123 migrants and asylum seekers displaced by the war have been provided with safe shelter and regular meals.
The video also includes testimonies from three direct beneficiaries of the aid, including a student who can continue his university studies, a woman who is provided with food and medicine for her sick husband, and a young father who receives financial support to pay his rent.
Helping Christians stay in the Holy Land
The video ends with an appeal for continued support for the suffering Christians in the Holy Land: “Your closeness supports our efforts for peace and justice in our country, which do not consist of simple slogans, but of daily actions,” says Cardinal Pizzaballa. “Your support also helps Christian families to stay here and not emigrate in the face of the great hardship and the ongoing wars in Gaza and the West Bank.”
