Bishops in South Africa Decry Attack on “tiny Christian population” in Gaza after Israeli Strike on Catholic Parish
Members of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) have strongly condemned the accidental Israeli strike on the Holy Family Catholic Parish in Gaza on July 17, which killed a priest and two others, and left many injured.
In a statement issued on July 18, the Catholic Bishops of Southern Africa described the assault on Gaza’s only Catholic parish as unjustifiable, particularly given the area’s already fragile and minority Christian presence.
“We, the Catholic Bishops of Southern Africa, were deeply grieved by the killings, injuries, and senseless destruction caused by the Israeli Defence Forces in the Holy Family Catholic Church compound in Gaza,” they stated.
Signed by SACBC President, Stephen Cardinal Brislin of the Archdiocese of Johannesburg, the statement strongly denounced the attack on the Christian community and condemned the ongoing violence in the region.
The bishops decried the continued military actions in Gaza since Hamas’ October 2023 attack on Israel, stating that while they had previously condemned the Hamas massacre, the Israeli response has been “grossly disproportionate,” violating human rights conventions and the rules of warfare.
Calling the situation “genocide and ethnic cleansing,” the SACBC expressed full support for South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of acts of genocide. “We hoped this peaceful legal route would apply pressure to end the bloodshed. Unfortunately, it has not,” they said.
The bishops also criticized the countries supplying arms and fueling the conflict, warning that such nations are complicit in what history will judge as a “crime against humanity.” They urged an immediate halt to weapons manufacturing and exports to conflict zones.
Referencing the parable of the Good Samaritan, the bishops warned against moral indifference. “If we remain silent in the face of ongoing violence, dispossession, and suffering, we are no better than those who walked past the wounded man,” they said.
They affirmed their solidarity with Pope Leo XIV’s call for a lasting ceasefire and the release of all hostages, including those held without trial. “Prayer and solidarity must be accompanied by action,” they insisted, advocating nonviolent resistance, boycotts, protests, and vocal opposition to the widening conflict in the Middle East.
The attack has drawn global outrage. Bishop William Shomali of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said the community was “deeply distressed” and called for protection of surrounding Christian villages.
While the Israel Defense Forces issued an apology, attributing the strike to unintended shell fragments, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa suggested the strike may have been deliberate, saying “everyone (in Gaza) believes it wasn’t” a mistake.
The day after the strike, Cardinal Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III visited Gaza to offer spiritual, moral, and material support to the victims.
Pope Leo XIV also reportedly received a call from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which the Pope reiterated his call for immediate negotiations to achieve a ceasefire and bring an end to the war.