Christians from Gaza’s only Catholic church have paid tribute to Pope Francis who called them “every day” during the Israel-Hamas war.
Speaking outside the Holy Family Church on Easter Monday, Father Gabriel Romanelli revealed details of his last phone call with the Pope, who died on Monday.
Follow latest: Tributes pour in for Pope Francis
“It’s a very sad day for us,” Father Romanelli told Sky News.
“We lost him. In the same time, we lost him in Easter – for us as Christians, it’s a good sign, a wonderful sign of the mercy of the Lord.”
Father Romanelli said the Pope last called on Saturday and “told us ‘thank you… for all that we made here’.”.
“In the same time, he asked [for] prayer and gave the blessing for all the people, for the Christian community and for all the citizens in Gaza,” he added.
He said Francis “was a very humble servant of the Lord”.
“All the time he told us, for this period – more than one year and a half, and he called every day, every day – he asked to help people, to protect the children,” Father Romanelli added.
‘Heartbroken’
Paying tribute to Pope Francis, George Antone, head of the emergency committee at the Holy Family Church, told the Reuters news agency: “We lost a saint who taught us every day how to be brave, how to keep patient and stay strong.
“We lost a man who fought every day in every direction to protect this small herd of his.
“We are heartbroken because of the death of Pope Francis, but we know that he is leaving behind a church that cares for us and that knows us by name – every single one of us.
“He used to tell each one: I am with you, don’t be afraid.”
Read more:
The Pope’s legacy in charts and numbers
World leaders pay tribute to Pope Francis
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Sky News app for free
Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage.
Since then, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry said more than 50,000 people have been killed. The health ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count.
Throughout the war, the Pope has condemned both Hamas and Israeli attacks and called for an immediate ceasefire and for a two-state solution.
Follow our channel and never miss an update.
In 2023, Francis condemned the killing of two Palestinian Christian women, and in November called for an investigation into whether Israel has committed “genocide” in Gaza.
Israel has strongly denied claims it has committed war crimes in Gaza, and says it takes stringent measures to avoid civilian casualties by warning people to evacuate areas in which it is operating.
In his final public message on Easter Sunday, Francis repeated previous calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for the release of all Israeli hostages.
