Keep the world's attention alive, do not lose hope, believe in peace and do not forget our brothers who live "where we are born as the Church and as Christians". This is the appeal launched by the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Francesco Ielpo, during the meeting "Despite everything, hope", held at the convent of Monte alle Croci in Florence, Italy.

The event, promoted by the John Paul II Foundation together with the Commissariat of the Custody of the Holy Land for Tuscany led by Fr. Matteo Brena, was a moment of dialogue and reflection. Ielpo, speaking with the president of the Tuscany Association of Journalists, Giampolo Marchini, brought the testimony of the friars and the community living in the places where Christ lived. "As Christians we do not give up", affirmed the Father Custos, focusing on a reality wounded by a conflict whose deepest effects are still difficult to define. "We know that peace is the result of a new path and that it is important to raise awareness in hearts to become peacemakers", Fr. Ielpo continued.

In this journey of awareness, understanding and solidarity are two essential tracks. Avvenire journalist, Nello Scavo, interviewed by Simone Pitossi of Toscana Oggi, talked about the dynamics of the Middle East and the ongoing geopolitical transformations. A fundamental step to understand where the Holy Land fits into such a tense and complex context. Afterwards, Fr. Brena and Damiano Bettoni, president of the John Paul II Foundation, took stock of their projects to concretely help the population. A solidarity that is expressed in Bethlehem, where the foundation has a office, and in Italy, where a reception program is active for families who arrived from the Gaza Strip for health reasons. Families who are currently housed in Reggello and Bagno a Ripoli.

At the end of the meeting, Father Ielpo, Fr. Brena and Mons. Rodolfo Cetoloni, bishop emeritus of Grosseto, led a moment of prayer in front of the stone altar that arrived from Taybeh, ancient Ephraim and a majority Christian village in the West Bank. "It is important to pray for the gift of peace", stated the Custos. "It is never just the result of a political strategy or mediation", said Fr. Ielpo, "the peace we long for is a gift that comes from above, the gift that the Risen Lord brought to Earth and on which our hope is founded".