Two days prior to his elevation to the rank of cardinal, the Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) on Thursday, September 28, 2023, met with Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem His Beatitude Pierbattista Pizzaballa at the Press House of the Holy See. CCSM Director Fr. Dr. Rif'at Bader interviewed His Beatitude.

Following is the text of the interview:

I am happy and proud of your elevation as cardinal. How do you feel now two days before your elevation?

I still did not have the time to stop and think about it. I will take these two days, what remains, is to pray a little bit and to give time also to my heart to digest all these pieces of news until tomorrow.

What word would you give to your local Church of Jerusalem especially the Latin Patriarchate faithful, then to the faithful in the Middle East, and then to the  Universal Church?

So I said it. This nomination regardless for my person is a sign of attention of the Pope and the Universal Church, but Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the heart of the Church. Jerusalem is now coming once again a voice within the life of the Church, so it is a responsibility, and means all the Church will look to us. We have also a responsibility not just as a cardinal but as the community church and to have better, and more about unity of our community to be a voice of the Christians that is able to say the truth, but at the same time also to give perspective and to help the universal Church to deal with the challenges that we already have in Jerusalem. The inter-cultured, the inter-religious context is something that the world is just learning right now. And we have something to say positive and building.

Is peace possible?

Peace is possible if you want. Peace is the fruit of the wheel of the human beings. We have to pray for this and work for this. And there is also education. Peace is also mentally and is also an attitude, personal, family. And community and of course stays in the Catholics. So we have to regard and to contribute to it.

We have a good group who are coming from Jerusalem, Amman, from everywhere, from the Latin Patriarchate, and from Chicago. What would you say to them?

I say first of all thank you. I see this reaction, their presence and their commitment to be present is something for me touching. I really respect this is a beautiful sign for Jerusalem and also for myself. And I appreciate this and tell them and also tell myself that we have to explore this moment in order to build a more united community as Latin Patriarchate.

Thank you, sir.