Even as Pope Francis was hospitalized in the last months of his life, he maintained a near-nightly ritual of calling the hundreds of Palestinian Christians in the only Roman Catholic church in the war-torn Gaza Strip.
Rev. Gabriel Romanelli, the Argentine parish priest at Holy Family Church in Gaza City, received calls from Francis almost every evening last year to check on the well-being of his congregation amid fear and bombardment.
This level of engagement from the spiritual leader of over one billion Catholics was notable, as Francis had consistently expressed sympathy for Palestinian suffering and frequently called for a cease-fire in Gaza.
The video calls typically lasted a few minutes, according to Father Romanelli, who noted that while the calls became less frequent after the pope's illness, they remained significant for the community. Francis would inquire about the church's situation, and Palestinians seeking shelter there would request blessings or messages to convey to world leaders.
“The evenings became known as the pope’s time,” Father Romanelli stated, highlighting how people, including young individuals, would gather to connect with him.
Only a few hundred Palestinian Christians reside in Gaza, which has been severely impacted by Israel’s military actions against Hamas. Many are sheltering in two churches in Gaza City, hoping for safety, with some having lost their homes due to Israeli bombings.
During a conflict that Palestinian health officials report has resulted in over 50,000 deaths in Gaza, the direct connection with Francis felt “existential,” according to Father Romanelli. He expressed that the pope's death was a significant loss for both him and the community, as they had grown accustomed to hearing his voice daily.
Francis was a vocal opponent of the conflict, consistently advocating for a cease-fire and condemning the humanitarian crisis in the region. He also met with families of Israelis taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack that resulted in 1,200 fatalities and sparked the ongoing war.
In his final Easter sermon, delivered by Archbishop Diego Ravelli the day before his death, Francis urged all parties to “call a cease-fire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace.”
Francis’ support for the Palestinian cause predates the current conflict. In 2014, he visited Israel and the occupied West Bank, advocating for a “sovereign homeland” for Palestinians and becoming the first pope to refer to the occupied territory as “the State of Palestine.”
During that visit, he made an unexpected stop at the Israeli-built separation wall outside Bethlehem, a structure viewed by Palestinians as a symbol of oppression and by Israelis as a necessary security measure. Francis prayed at the wall, resting his forehead against it, where someone had spray-painted a plea for justice.
The image of him praying at the wall has left a lasting impression on many, including Munther Isaac, a Palestinian Christian pastor in Bethlehem, who shared his thoughts on social media following the pope's death.
Francis’ empathy for Palestinian suffering sometimes put him at odds with the Israeli government. After he described Israeli airstrikes in Gaza as “cruelty” in a December address, the Israeli foreign ministry accused him of overlooking the context of Israel’s fight against terrorism.
Following Francis’ death, Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed condolences, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not comment, and his office declined to confirm whether he would attend the pope’s funeral on Saturday, coinciding with the Jewish Sabbath.
Ibrahim Jahshan, an Orthodox Christian from Gaza City, remarked that Francis’ death was a loss for all Palestinians, regardless of faith, and noted that many in Gaza’s Christian community felt a personal connection to him as both a pope and a human being. “All of us will miss him,” Jahshan stated.