The upheavals concerning the area we call the Holy Land, where Jesus preached and which today spans Israel and the Palestinian Territories, inevitably involve the Christians living there. To grasp their significance, it’s useful to start with a Franciscan who was a passionate scholar of Judaism, later becoming Custos of the Holy Land and then Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem—the first patriarch to become a cardinal, Pierbattista Pizzaballa. How can we define him? Using the term he chose when elected in 2020: the “patriarch of remaining.” He used this in his first homily, as he remained in the Holy Land after twelve years as Custos, “to walk among you and with you, […] to witness and learn about God’s primacy and His timing, the patience of sowing, the hopeful and certain anticipation of the fruits of the Spirit.” He defined the verb “to remain” as the verb of mature patience, vigilant waiting, daily and serious fidelity, not sentimental and fleeting. A child of Vatican II and the Declaration Nostra Aetate, of the fraternal relationship between Catholics and Jews, and of the dialogue as children of Abraham with Islam, today he faces tremendous challenges. Thus, all newspapers have cited his initiatives.
On October 17, 2023, just a few days after the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, his statement he delivered online gained significant attention: “I am ready to offer myself as a hostage to Hamas if this could lead to the release of all hostages, both Israeli and foreign, who have been kidnapped and held in Gaza.”
He has once again gained significant media attention after tensions between the only entirely Christian village in the West Bank, Taybeh, and Israeli settlers escalated dramatically, continuing since July 7 and culminating in fires that affected one of the oldest churches in the Palestinian territories, St. George’s. Taybeh was visited on July 14 by the Patriarchs of Jerusalem, Theophilos III and Pizzaballa. The Christian leaders signed a statement that was read publicly by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch. The statement recounted the recent events and recalled a sign that read, “There is no future here for you.” Cardinal Pizzaballa noted that a Vatican official had also visited Taybeh, preparing a very detailed report and later condemning the “Wild West” conditions in the Occupied Territories: “Throughout the West Bank, and not just here, the only law prevailing now is the law of power, of those who have strength, not justice. We must work to ensure that the law returns here, to this part of the country.”
On July 22, Patriarch Pizzaballa, returning from Gaza after visiting the Sacred Family parish, which had been hit by Israeli artillery, resulting in three deaths and several injuries, released a statement: “We saw it: men who endure the sun for hours in hopes of a simple meal. It is a humiliation that’s hard to bear when you see it with your own eyes. It is morally unacceptable and unjustifiable.” This statement was also widely quoted: “Christ is not absent from Gaza. He is there, crucified in the wounded, buried under the rubble, present in every act of mercy, in every hand that consoles, in every candle lit in the dark.”
Then, on July 28, he visited Jenin and Nablus, where other severe and violent clashes have been ongoing for some time. After listening to the accounts and the pain of social isolation and economic vulnerability, he emphasized that “silent perseverance reflects the enduring spirit of Christian witness in the Holy Land.”
These dramatic moments are intertwined with legislative discussions about the future.
On July 24, the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, approved a recommendation on the annexation of the West Bank. Although this recommendation is non-binding and was not officially commented on, in 2020, when the annexation of part of the West Bank was being discussed, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin called for the avoidance of unilateral actions during an official meeting with the ambassadors of Israel and the United States.
The text asserts that Judea and Samaria (the biblical names for today’s West Bank) are “an inseparable part of the Land of Israel, the historical, cultural, and spiritual homeland of the Jewish people,” and reaffirms that Israel “has the natural, historical, and legal right over all the territories of the Land of Israel.” It also calls on the government to “apply sovereignty, law, jurisdiction, and Israeli administration over all areas of Jewish settlement.” According to the website, terrasanta.net, this is “a significant political signal and another step toward the possible formal annexation of part or all of the territories occupied in 1967.”
This discussion must be viewed in light of the 2018 law that declared Israel as “the national home of the Jewish people,” giving precedence to the Jewish dimension over the democratic one. This was the core of the objections raised by then-President Reuven Rivlin, who expressed concern for the rights of minorities, and by many others, including MP Benny Begin, important figures in the history of the Israeli right. Israel has a minority of Arab-Palestinian origin among its population. In this regard, Pizzaballa stated: “This law would make Arab citizens of Israel feel increasingly like guests in their own home. It’s as if they have rights, but they are not equal to others.” According to Pizzaballa, “This is, however, a highly debated law even within the Jewish community, and there is strong pressure to change it. This proposal is part of the dynamics we are witnessing in a period marked by deep divisions and internal rifts within Israel. As local Churches, we are closely following the evolution of this matter. We do not want to intervene too much to avoid unnecessary controversy, but we are concerned about the rights of minorities.”
All of this impacts the holy sites, which require a community to keep them alive. In 2017, Father Francesco Patton, Pizzaballa’s successor as Custos of the Holy Land, stated during a meeting in Assisi: “To preserve the holy sites also means caring for the people. Around these holy places, there is almost always a small Christian community that needs support to live out its faith. At the major holy sites, there is also an experience of coexistence, encounter, and ecumenical dialogue, which, throughout history, has seen moments of tension and conflict. However, in the current phase, it is primarily a time of increasingly fraternal collaboration, as demonstrated during the restoration and reinforcement of the Holy Sepulcher’s edicule.” The decision of Patriarchs Pizzaballa and Theophilos to act together in the abovementioned contexts clearly strengthens this “unity.” However, there remains the need for a community not only of clergy, monks, nuns, and religious, but also of lay faithful—both men and women. This is a matter that ties into the broader national issue.
The national issue has naturally affected the Churches, and the appointment of Cardinal Pizzaballa as Patriarch marked the end of the era of Palestinian patriarchs, first Michel Sabbah and then Fouad Twal. Sabbah, appointed Patriarch by Pope John Paul II in 1987, during the height of the intifada, and serving until 2008, was the patriarch who focused on the national issue. After the appointment of his successor, he published a text that remains a key reference for many, Kairos Palestine, in which he wrote: “God placed us here as two peoples, and God gives us the capacity, if we have the will, to live together and establish justice and peace, making it truly the land of God: ‘The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it’ (Psalm 24:1). Our presence in this land, as Christian and Muslim Palestinians, is not accidental, but deeply rooted in the history and geography of this land, resonating with the connection of any people to the land in which they live. It was an injustice when we were expelled. The West tried to rectify what the Jews suffered in European countries, but it did so at our expense and in our land. They tried to correct one injustice, and the result was a new injustice.”
After his long tenure leading the Custody of the Holy Land, did Pizzaballa, as Patriarch, bring a new vision or priority? One might speak of a “Church-bridge,” serving as an instrument of understanding between peoples, following the emphasis on the national issue. With a focus on the entire region and the terrible events that have unfolded there over the years, often targeting Christians, he remarked in 2016 about Islamic leaders: “I spoke of timid reactions. And yes, they were indeed very timid. Of course, not all, as there have been commendable exceptions that, in some way, offer hope. But it must be acknowledged that while it’s true the narratives differ and everyone interprets events in their own way, it is also undeniable that Islamic leaders in the Middle East have been very timid in condemning the abomination that is taking place.”
Pizzaballa, who chose to study Hebrew as a young friar, has always been deeply engaged with Judaism, fully embracing the spirit of the conciliar declaration Nostra Aetate. Regarding relations with Judaism, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith highlights that Nostra Aetate “reverses two millennia of preaching and teaching by stating that the responsibility for the death of Jesus should not be attributed to all Jews.” During his years at the Custody of the Holy Land, Pizzaballa had Latin liturgical texts translated into Hebrew, and for the small Catholic community there, he had studied in Israeli schools.
This background has accompanied him throughout his long years as Custos of the Holy Land, from 2004 to 2016, the year he became apostolic administrator of the patriarchate before eventually becoming patriarch. Now, he faces the challenge of upholding his vision after the pogrom of October 7. A year later, in 2024, he called for a day of prayer, fasting, and penance, stating that the Hamas terrorist attack had “plunged the Holy Land, and beyond, into a vortex of violence and hatred never before seen or experienced.” This is an extremely grave situation for everyone, especially moderates. In Israel, there is growing concern over the rise of religious Zionism, which refers to Israel’s “biblical borders.” On the other side, public opinion has shifted, as seen in the success of the Muslim Brotherhood in the 2024 Jordanian elections, where many voters have Palestinian roots. Since then, the Muslim Brotherhood has held the largest bloc in the Jordanian Parliament.
Is it legitimate to fear that tomorrow’s Holy Land could become an incubator for a distinctly pre-conciliar Christianity, closed off by the context in which it finds itself? Is this a real risk? Certainly, the Holy See will retain the authority to appoint ecclesiastical leaders, but the challenge for the Patriarch of the “Church-bridge” remains. It’s important to remember that the Nostra Aetate declaration was not easily achieved. The website Gariwo pointed out that “the innovations of Vatican II faced significant opposition, to the extent that one of their main promoters, Cardinal Bea, was accused of crypto-Judaism by the curial right; even the original version of the conciliar text condemning anti-Semitism was diluted by compromise, reducing it to merely ‘deploring’ it.” This refers to Nostra Aetate, 4, which states: “The Church, which condemns all persecutions against any person, remembering the shared heritage it has with the Jews, and moved not by political motives, but by evangelical charity, deplores hatred, persecution, and all manifestations of anti-Semitism directed against the Jews at all times and by anyone.”
Nostra Aetate also initiated dialogue with Islam: “The Church regards with esteem Muslims who worship the one God, living and sustaining, merciful and almighty, creator of heaven and earth, who has spoken to mankind. They seek to submit wholeheartedly to God’s decrees, even those that are hidden, just as Abraham did, to whom the Islamic faith willingly refers.” On this front, Father Paolo Dall’Oglio, founder of the Mar Musa Community dedicated to Christian-Muslim dialogue, called for a shift from Islamophobia to “Islamosophy” to prevent further “Afghanization” and warned that “the fundamentalist” believes that outside the true faith, there are only false beliefs and, consequently, a false humanity.
In today’s rapidly changing world, it is clear that the Holy Land and its reality have—and will continue to have—significance beyond its borders.
Cover photo: Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III stand together during a visit by the head clergymen of several Christian denominations to the fifth-century Church of St George in the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh, northeast of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on July 14, 2025. (Photo by Zain JAAFAR / AFP)
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