cumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has strongly condemned the recent Israeli airstrike that struck the Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in Gaza. Speaking after the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral on Sunday, July 20, 2025 — where Archbishop Elpidophoros of America also presided — the Patriarch described the attack as a horrific act against a sacred place that was a refuge for hundreds of people of all faiths during this time of suffering.

“The attack was not only against a place of worship but against a sacred space cherished deeply by the late Pope Francis,” the Patriarch said, recalling how the Pope maintained daily contact with the church’s priest even during his illness.

Patriarch Bartholomew requested Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archbishop of Newark, who leads a group of Orthodox and Catholic pilgrims from the United States on the “From Rome to New Rome” pilgrimage alongside Archbishop Elpidophoros, to convey his condolences to Pope Leo XIII. “Please assure His Holiness of our shared call for an immediate ceasefire and an end to this war,” the Patriarch urged. He added prayers for the repose of the innocent victims, the speedy recovery of the wounded, and comfort for their families.

The Patriarch expressed gratitude for the recent message from Pope Leo XIV to the pilgrims, accepting his words and brotherly greetings with warmth and affection. He stressed the shared desire for unity, “not based on uniformity, but on the common truth of the Gospel, mutual love, and our shared baptism into the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.”