Patriarchs of Jerusalem visit Gaza's wounded faithful
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III began a pastoral visit to Gaza on June 22, meeting clergy, religious communities, families and those affected by the humanitarian crisis. The delegation included Dr. Josef Blotz of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and representatives of Malteser International, underscoring humanitarian cooperation. The visit aimed to offer prayer, comfort and renewed hope, while reaffirming the Churches’ commitment to healthcare, relief and the protection of human dignity amid ongoing suffering. The leaders were welcomed with applause, following earlier visits by Cardinal Pizzaballa, including a Christmas Mass after the 2025 Israeli strike on the Holy Family parish.
3 months ago
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, made a joint pastoral and humanitarian trip to the Gaza Strip on 22 June 2026, meeting clergy, religious communities, Christian families and civilians affected by the ongoing war‑induced crisis. 1
The leaders framed the trip as an expression of the “pastoral responsibility” of both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches toward Gaza’s Christian community and the entire population, which continues to endure severe humanitarian suffering, fear, loss and uncertainty. 1 2
The delegation included Dr Josef Blotz, Grand Hospitaller of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, and representatives of Malteser International, the Order’s humanitarian agency. 1 2
The visit follows a December 2025 Christmas Mass celebrated by Cardinal Pizzaballa at the same parish, and a July 2025 Israeli strike that killed three people and injured eleven at the Holy Family church. The current trip underscores the Churches’ ongoing commitment to healthcare, relief work and the protection of human dignity in Gaza. 1 2
This was the third joint Catholic‑Orthodox visit to Gaza within a year, marking the first ecumenical pilgrimage of its kind during wartime. The repeated presence of both patriarchs signals a sustained ecclesial focus on Gaza despite the dangers. 2 3
On 12 June 2026, the humanitarian work of the Latin Patriarchate and the Holy Family parish was honored with the Antonio Feltrinelli International Prize, presented by Italian President Sergio Mattarella; Patriarchal vicar Iyad Twal accepted the award on behalf of Cardinal Pizzaballa. 2
The joint visit highlights the Churches of Jerusalem’s dedication to providing spiritual consolation, advocating for peace, and supporting humanitarian relief for Gaza’s wounded faithful.*
Catholic‑Orthodox pastoral care and humanitarian witness in Gaza
Catholic-Orthodox pastoral care and humanitarian witness in Gaza can be understood as a single Christian response to suffering—care for the wounded body and soul, protection of human dignity, and a credible witness that peace is morally required. In what follows, the emphasis is on (a) the concrete Catholic humanitarian approach in Gaza and (b) how that approach can realistically ground shared pastoral witness with Orthodox Christians, while also (c) keeping clearly in view the Church’s insistence on a just peace, not only emergency relief.
The clearest material evidence in the provided Catholic sources concerns Catholic/Church-supported relief and pastoral support through partnerships in Gaza.
A 2026 Dicastery for the Eastern Churches appeal describes support in Gaza in partnership with the “Atfa-Luna” Association, including:
This matters for “pastoral care” because it reflects a specifically Christian idea: humanitarian help should address vulnerability in its full human dimensions, especially where war destabilizes community life, education, and mental well-being—not only immediate food/medical needs.
The same Gaza section emphasizes learning continuity and inclusion through temporary learning points in refugee camps. The pastoral logic is clear: where children cannot be educated normally, the Church’s witness includes safeguarding the possibility of a human future—particularly for children with disabilities, who are most easily pushed to the margins in emergencies.
The appeal also references collaboration with Caritas Jerusalem via the “Gaza Emergency Appeal 2024,” including distribution of food/basic necessities, multiple purchase cash assistance (MPCA), and essential medicines and awareness programs.
Taken together, these descriptions show a model of witness that is:
Your question asks specifically about Catholic–Orthodox pastoral care and witness. The provided sources do not document a single, named “Catholic-Orthodox joint program in Gaza” (at least not in the supplied material). However, they do provide a way to reason responsibly: identify shared ecumenical habits and shared moral priorities that make cooperation plausible and spiritually coherent.
An academic reference on the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem notes that Orthodox Jerusalem leaders have engaged in ecumenical initiatives and even participated in drafting a common memorandum titled “The Significance of Jerusalem for Christians,” signed in 1994 by the patriarchs and heads of traditional Churches present in Jerusalem. It also notes that these leaders meet regularly afterward.
While this is not Gaza-specific, it demonstrates that Catholic and Orthodox Christians in the Holy Land context are capable of shared witness around common Christian stakes (like Jerusalem’s identity and safeguarding Christian life).
The Gaza support described in the Dicastery appeal is framed in terms that are fundamentally Christian rather than confessional:
Because these are directed toward human dignity and care for the suffering, Catholic and Orthodox communities can recognize each other’s witness as part of the same Christian duty—often enabling parallel efforts or collaboration with shared public goals, even when ecclesial structures remain distinct.
Humanitarian action alone can become politically flattening unless it is explicitly connected to what the Church regards as a just peace.
In a 2025 press conference flight from Istanbul to Beirut, Pope Leo XIV stated that the Holy See supports “the proposal of a two-State solution,” describing it as “the only solution that could offer…an answer” to the conflict. He also said:
“we…are trying to act as a mediating voice for both parties, to help find a just solution for everyone.”
This is relevant to “pastoral care” because pastoral witness in war is not merely comforting or emergency-oriented; it must also teach hope rooted in justice—the kind of hope that refuses resignation.
A Catholic summary of advocacy on the Holy Land issue (USCCB-hosted material including Pope Benedict XVI’s call) includes the insistence on:
Again, this does not provide a Gaza-only blueprint, but it supplies a moral framework: Christian witness must uphold the dignity and rights of all, not only one side.
The Gaza humanitarian description strongly suggests several pastoral priorities that are especially compatible with ecumenical cooperation.
The appeal explicitly mentions “PSS support activities.” In pastoral terms, this points beyond physical survival toward care for:
This is precisely where Catholic and Orthodox pastoral traditions often recognize common ground: both Churches see suffering as calling for consolation, accompaniment, and moral healing, not just distribution of goods.
Targeting children “with and without disabilities” through inclusive education is not merely technical; it is a pastoral statement that the least protected remain morally central.
The appeal includes “awareness-raising sessions.” While the specifics are not detailed in the text provided, in a pastoral setting this can serve as a protective moral education—helping people navigate fear, violence, and breakdown of normal life without feeding hatred.
So the most faithful conclusion from the evidence is: Catholic and Orthodox pastoral witness in Gaza can converge through shared Christian charity and shared concern for human dignity, and it can be made more credible when humanitarian aid is joined to the Church’s insistence on a just political horizon for peace.
Catholic humanitarian and pastoral witness in Gaza—as described in a 2026 Church appeal—includes psychosocial support, emergency relief, inclusion of children with disabilities, and the preservation of education through temporary learning points, often in partnership with local Catholic/Church-linked organizations.
Catholic-Orthodox pastoral witness can align in a serious way because Christian charity, trauma care, and educational mercy are morally common priorities, and because Holy Land Orthodox leadership is shown to participate in ecumenical common witness on shared Christian stakes.
Finally, authentic witness requires more than aid: the Holy See frames peace through a two-State solution and a mediating moral role, while Catholic advocacy emphasizes rights, security, dignity, and Jerusalem’s sacred identity for all.