INTERVIEW – August 29, 2014. Pope Francis receives the parish priest from Gaza. They
are a minority, but like all the other people of Gaza they have
suffered because of the conflict. They have been sustained by the
certainty of being part of the universal Church and of feeling the
solicitude and care of the Pope and the solidarity and prayers of
Christians throughout the world. Fr Jorge Hernández Zanni of the
Institute of the Incarnate Word spoke about them in this interview with Osservatore Romano.
What are your first impressions after your meeting with the Pope?
The meeting with Francis was a grace. I would
never expected it. During the days of war in Gaza, the Pontiff emailed a
message to the parish. I immediately informed all the faithful about
this gift. The relief they received is unimaginable, just for the fact
that the Pope has all of us in his heart.
What was in the message?
First of all, Francis encouraged us to always
go forward, to bear our witness, to be “salt of the earth”. I referred
to the supernatural vision of the presence of Christians in that place.
Let us not forget that out of almost two million people in Gaza, there
are 1350 Christians, of whom 136 are Catholics and the rest Orthodox. An
important minority. And the fact that the Pontiff cares about us is a
meaningful gesture.
And what did today’s audience with the Pope symbolize?
Now, with this encounter I have had the same
certainty: the pastor is present among his faithful, he offers
encouragement and wise counsel. It is a tremendous grace for us.
What is the current situation in the Gaza Strip?
Thanks be to God, a durable ceasefire
agreement has been reached, at least providing the chance for for the
negotiators to return to Egypt. And this is also a great grace for us,
because the people cannot take it any more. More than the damage and the
fear, the situation has become unbearable for both sides in the
conflict.
What work is being done at this time in your parish?
Holy Family is the only parish in Gaza.
During the conflict we hosted more than 2,200 people who fled their
homes. Ours was a witness of charity. We welcomed, sheltered and
supported many refugees in their sorrow, also providing material aid,
thanks to Caritas Internationalis, which was always close to
us. I must say that we always had the unconditional support of the
Patriarch Jerusalem for Latins. Patriarch Twal in person took care of
the humanitarian aid for us and he himself telephoned our community many
times. One who has lived through war knows the extraordinary value of
these gestures. This is the presence of the Church: a steadfast
charitable witness. Unfortunately, we also had three victims in our
Christian community.
How many people work in the parish?
Besides me, as the parish priest, there is
another priest from the Institute of the Incarnate Word, Fr Mario, who
is from Brazil, and then the religious sisters from three congregations:
the Sisters of Mother Teresa, the Dominicans of the Rosary and the
Institute of the Virgin of Matará, from Argentina. All three
congregations help in the parish, some assisting disabled children,
others in the three Christian schools, which are the best in Gaza. They
are also attended by Muslims and places which favour a dialogue for life
among the religions.
What developments do you visualize for the future peace process?
It is not simple; in general it starts over
from the beginning, both in the parish and in the civic community.
People are returning to try to continue life. It is difficult to predict
what will happen. However, I would like to openly thank all those who,
during these weeks of conflict, wrote and called us, offered us their
prayers and expressed their sorrow for us. This was very important to
us. I again ask that everyone continue to pray for us. It is essential,
we need it.
Osservatore Romano
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