Holy Land's top Catholic leader visits Gaza parish, greeted by children in Santa hats and keffiyeh

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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — The top Catholic leader in the Holy Land visited the Gaza Strip’s only Catholic church on Friday to share a message of Christmas hope and support as conditions in the war-torn territory slowly improve while the Israel-Hamas ceasefire holds into its third month.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa was greeted by children in Santa hats and keffiyeh — the checkered headscarf that's a global symbol of Palestinian nationalism — in the courtyard of the church compound, which was gaily decorated with twinkling lights and Christmas ornaments.

“I know the situation is difficult, but I see with the children, the school, the activities, a little light of hope,” he said in English to several dozen people gathered for the festivity. “You have been a wonderful testimony, not only of resilience, but of faith and hope for many people not just in Gaza, but many other parts of the world.”

He said the Christian community aims to be a “stable, solid reference point in this sea of destruction” as the rebuilding slowly begins. The Holy Family compound was hit by fragments from an Israeli shell in July, killing three people in what Israel then called an accident and expressed regret over.

“We cannot forget what happened. And we will never forget. But now we have to look forward,” said Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. “We need to cure, to heal our hearts.”

Pizzaballa and other clergy also prayed by the Christmas tree and Nativity scenes inside the church, whose pastor said holiday activities are in full swing despite challenges, including displacement, exorbitant food prices and intermittent power.

In his daily YouTube messages delivered in his native Spanish, the Rev. Gabriel Romanelli on Thursday lamented the cold weather — a low of 7 degrees Celsius (45 degrees Fahrenheit). But he said that the school’s 160 children were rehearsing their Christmas programs and planning a Nativity scene in traditional angel and shepherd costumes.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said Pizzaballa planned to celebrate Sunday Mass at the parish, as he also did during the war in the Christmas season.

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