The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, said this week that “the manipulation of God’s name to justify this and any other war is the gravest sin we can commit in this time.”
The cardinal was commenting in response to the words of U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who quoted Psalm 144 during a press briefing on March 10 to invoke a divine blessing on the ongoing U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, according to Vatican News.
The prelate made his remarks during a March 15 webinar organized by the International Oasis Foundation and the Milan Cultural Center at a time when the Middle East is once again in turmoil due to the U.S.-Israel war against Iran.
In his remarks during the event, titled “War Devours the Middle East and Its Peoples,” the prelate emphasized that “there are no new crusades, and God has nothing to do with any of this.”
“If God is present in this war, he is among those who are dying, who are suffering,” he stated.
Pizzaballa addressed the situation in the Gaza Strip, where “medicines are scarce — even basic antibiotics. People are literally living in sewers and tents. Almost all the schools have been destroyed.”
“Fifty-three percent of the [Gaza] Strip where more than 2 million displaced persons live is under direct Israeli control; 47% — where the majority of Palestinians reside — is under Hamas control. Eighty percent of the Strip has been destroyed, and reconstruction has not even begun,” he stated.
He also noted that the border crossings are virtually closed. Regarding the Board of Peace initiative promoted by President Donald Trump, the cardinal said: “It’s not yet operational, and we don’t know if it ever will be. Nor have I yet understood what it intends to do.”
During his remarks, the cardinal noted that the situation in the Gaza Strip is also at a standstill because Hamas refuses to hand over its weapons until Israel withdraws, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government refuses to withdraw until the Islamist movement disarms.
Regarding the West Bank, he decried that “there are attacks by settlers against Palestinians — including Christians — almost daily.”
Furthermore, he said there are Israeli legislative initiatives to re-register land to the detriment of the Palestinian population, and traveling to the area has become more difficult.
More than 200 Christian teachers living in the West Bank city of Bethlehem are no longer able to reach the 15 Christian schools in Jerusalem.
“We are always under constant tension,” the cardinal added, “and the situation remains very complicated for all of us.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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