Saturday’s attacks on Israel have brought responses of sadness, condolences, and calls for peace from Pope Francis, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, and the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem.
At the end of a public address on Sunday, Pope Francis said he is following the violence in Israel “with apprehension and sorrow” and issued an appeal to “please stop weapons attacks!”
In an appeal at the end of his Sunday Angelus address, Pope Francis said, “terrorism and war do not bring any solution, but only death and suffering for many innocent people. War is a failure. Every war is a failure.”
He said he is close to the families of the victims and called for prayers “that there will be peace in Israel and Palestine.”
The Pope also recalled that the month of October is dedicated to the Rosary and asked Catholics to continue to pray through the intercession of Mary “for the gift of peace for the many countries of the world marked by war and conflict.”
A series of rocket attacks and incursions on Israel from Hamas militants reportedly killed hundreds and wounded many between Saturday and Sunday morning.
The surprise attacks began early on the morning of Oct. 7, the start of the observance of the Jewish holiday Simchat Torah.
Israel reacted to the attacks by fighting back in southern Israel and launching airstrikes in Gaza. Israeli military official Daniel Hagari told reporters Sunday morning that “hundreds of terrorists” had been killed during fighting in Gaza and southern Israel, the Associated Press reported.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin condemned Saturday’s attack on Israel, calling it a “terrible and despicable” act.
The Vatican Secretary of State made the remarks in his opening address at a three-day conference starting on Monday at the Pontifical Gregorian University entitled “The New Documents from the Pontificate of Pope Pius XII and their Meaning for Jewish-Christian Relations.”
Cardinal Parolin said, “I would have never thought to begin, today, my speech with the dutiful, sad obligation to share and convey the sorrow that the Holy Father expressed yesterday at what is happening in Israel. Two days ago, on the day of the Sabbath, on the feast of Simchat Torah, the joy of the Torah, in Israel, many Israeli brothers and sisters were awakened by a terrible and despicable attack. We are close to the families of the victims, to the thousands of wounded, to those who are missing and kidnapped and now in grave danger.”
The Secretary of State said, “the Holy See is following with deep and grave concern the war that has been provoked, in which also many Palestinians in Gaza are losing their lives and many are displaced and wounded.”
He then reiterated the Holy See’s “closeness and prayers” to their families and all civilians, who are “totally innocent.”
Recalling the words of Pope Francis at Sunday’s Angelus, Cardinal Parolin said “war is always the defeat of dignity and an occasion for not reaching any solution.”
Cardinal Parolin added that, “Unfortunately, terrorism, violence, barbarism and extremism undermine the legitimate aspiration of Palestinians and Israelis. I hope that the weapons will be silenced and reason will prevail and be used to pause and reflect on the right way to achieve peace in Israel and Palestine.”
Just ahead of the event, Cardinal Parolin spoke to journalists outside the Pontifical Gregorian University.
He called for a solution that finds ways “to lay the foundation” for addressing the challenge of coexistence between Palestinians and Israelis by implementing “the instruments of diplomacy” that the international community has available.
“Until that problem is resolved, until a roadmap for peace is found, these things will always risk repeating themselves and always with greater ferocity,” he warned.
He shared with the journalists his concern over the upheavals taking place in the world at this “tragic time,” even more so now with the outbreak of “this real war” in the Holy Land.
Cardinal Parolin expressed anguish over how history seems to repeat itself. “We thought the tragedies that occurred in the 1900s were something of the past, that they would never be repeated again. Instead, with great sadness and bewilderment, we see that we are repeating all the mistakes of the past. History has taught us nothing…”
In finding ways out of the current situation, the Cardinal noted that “certainly everyone’s commitment will be needed to try first to limit this conflict which has broken out in a completely surprising way. At least on our part, no one imagined that what happened would be unleashed. Then all the tools of diplomacy need to be employed.”
First, Cardinal Parolin underscored, it’s necessary to overcome the initial shock in which “it is difficult to think about things as we are all caught up in the emotional impact of what is happening.”
While everything seems “very difficult,” said the Cardinal, “a moment of detachment” will arrive when it will be necessary to “start to reflect together.”
Cardinal Parolin finally appealed that, “we must find the conditions that allow us to live with justice,” because as Pope Pius XII said in the past “peace is the fruit of justice.”
Therefore, we need to “find the way to resolve this tragic problem of relations between Palestinians and Israelis on the basis of justice. Only this can ensure a stable peace and a peaceful and fruitful coexistence between the two peoples.”
The head of the Catholic Church in Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, called for a de-escalation of the situation in a statement Oct. 7.
“The continuing bloodshed and declarations of war remind us once again of the urgent need to find a lasting and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in this land,” he said.
The head of the Catholic Church in Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, called for a de-escalation of the violence in Israel. (OSV News photo/Debbie Hill)
Cardinal Pizzaballa, who was created a cardinal by Pope Francis in a consistory Sept. 30, called the sudden outbreak of violence in Israel and Palestine “very concerning due to its extension and intensity.”
“The too many casualties and tragedies, which both Palestinians and Israeli families have to deal with, will create more hatred and division, and will destroy more and more any perspective of stability,” the patriarch added.
“We ask God to inspire world leaders in their intervention for the implementation of peace and concord,” he said, “so that Jerusalem may be a house of prayer for all peoples.”
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem also announced that “due to the present circumstances,” celebrations in honour of Cardinal Pizzaballa’s inclusion in the College of Cardinals have been cancelled until further notice.
An Oct. 7 joint statement from the patriarchs and heads of the Churches in Jerusalem also called for the protection of both Israelis and Palestinians.
“As custodians of the Christian faith, deeply rooted in the Holy Land, we stand in solidarity with the people of this region, who are enduring the devastating consequences of continued strife,” the statement said.
The Christian leaders in the Holy Land condemned “any acts that target civilians, regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, or faith” and called for all parties to immediately cease violence.
“Our faith, which is founded on the teachings of Jesus Christ, compels us to advocate for the cessation of all violent and military activities that bring harm to both Palestinian and Israeli civilians,” it said.
Nearly 300 were reportedly killed at a music festival in Israel amid Hamas’ large-scale invasion.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on its website shortly after the invasion began that an “outdoor music festival” was among the places targeted by Hamas forces at the start of the incursion, which launched unexpectedly on Saturday with shelling from the Gaza Strip and ground forces and paratroopers pouring into Israel.
In the hours after the invasion, reports began to surface of a major incident at the Supernova music festival being held near Kibbutz Re’im in southwestern Israel, with Palestinian forces having allegedly gunned down a huge number of attendees at the event.
The BBC reported that “more than 260 bodies” were reportedly recovered from the site. The British outlet cited the Israeli rescue agency Zaka, which responded to the massacre and was working to gather the bodies of the victims there.
Zaka did not respond to a request for comment on Monday regarding the shootings, but social media was flooded with footage of the incident, including its aftermath, some of which appeared to show a scene of wrecked and destroyed cars at the abandoned festival site.
Israeli resident Gili Yoskovich, meanwhile, told Israeli news network i24NEWS that she had been working the festival when the deadly chaos began.
“[T]errorists were coming from all over, hundreds of terrorists,” she said. “They started to shoot everywhere. And everyone started to run.”
News of the massacre was met with shock on social media and from commentators around the world. It also caught the attention of U2 frontman Bono, who at the band’s Las Vegas residency on Sunday opened a performance of the band’s iconic hit “Pride (In The Name of Love)” by urging the crowd to “join us in singing for our brothers and sisters, for those who were celebrating at the Supernova Sukkot festival in Israel.”
The music festival was held just a few miles from the Gaza border.
