— Justice and Peace News
Cardinal Pizzaballa: Keep Attention on the Holy Land
October 21, 2026
Three years after October 7, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem urges the world to keep its eyes, and its prayers, on the people of the Holy Land.
Dear Members,
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem recently sat down with the Vatican’s media outlets to speak about the state of the Holy Land three years after October 7. His words are a call to keep our attention, and our prayers, on the people who live there. We invite you to read his full account below.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa described a Holy Land gripped by mistrust. In Israel, he noted, people no longer speak of a peace process or believe that a two-state solution is possible, and the strain is felt in the Christian communities as well. Data from the Rossing Center show that 36% of Christians surveyed said they were considering leaving Jerusalem or Israel, and the figure is even higher among the young.
“We must continue to insist on keeping attention focused on the situation, because this is the only way we can eventually begin serious efforts toward reconstruction and bringing this terrible situation to an end.”
His concern is sharpest in the West Bank, where he denounces a total absence of law and respect for the law, and in Gaza, where he says the humanitarian situation has not improved at all and conditions have in fact deteriorated. Asked how much longer this can go on, the Cardinal answered with a call to keep attention, and with a plan: he intends to return to Gaza.
