In the July 18 statement, Bishops from the three member countries of the SACBC – South Africa, Botswana and Eswatini described the attack as a “crime against humanity” and a direct violation of international law.

In the immediate aftermath of the bombing, Pope Leo XIV spoke by telephone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expressing deep concern over the attack and the escalating humanitarian disaster in Gaza.

The Holy See Press Office confirmed the conversation, during which the Pope “renewed his appeal for negotiations, a ceasefire and an end to the war.” The Holy Father, speaking from his residence in Castel Gandolfo, also stressed “the urgent need to protect places of worship and, especially, the faithful and all people in Palestine and Israel.”

In their statement, the SACBC bishops join their “voices with Pope Leo XIV in calling for a lasting ceasefire and for the release of hostages – including those in administrative detention.”

The Holy Family Church, Gaza’s only Catholic parish, was directly struck by Israeli tank fire at approximately 10:20 a.m. on July 17, according to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Among the injured is the parish priest, Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, a close friend of the late Pope Francis. At the time of the attack, the church was sheltering around 600 displaced Palestinians who had sought sanctuary after their homes were destroyed.

In a follow-up call on July 18, Pope Leo XIV reached out to Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, to “express his closeness, care, prayer, support, and desire to do everything possible to achieve not only a ceasefire but also an end to this tragedy.”

Cardinal Pizzaballa in public remarks, questioned the Israeli army’s claim that the church strike was accidental. “What we know for sure is that a tank struck the Church… the IOF claims it was a mistake, but we are not sure about that,” said Cardinal Pizzaballa.

The SACBC, in their official statement, described the attack as not only a military crime but a spiritual and moral outrage. “We condemn this heinous act in the strongest possible terms,” the bishops declared.

In the July 18 statement, the Catholic bishops re-affirmed their full support of South Africa’s legal case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, which accuses Israel of genocide under the 1948 Genocide Convention.

“The response to the massacre is now widely acknowledged across the world as genocide and ethnic cleansing. We share that assessment and so have given our support to the South African government’s case at the ICJ in The Hague accusing Israel of perpetrating acts of genocide,” said the bishops in the statement signed by the SACBC president Cardinal Stephen Brislin.

The bishops drew on the teachings of Pope Francis, particularly from Fratelli Tutti – the Encyclical letter on Fraternity and Social Friendship, where he wrote, “Every act of violence against a human being is a wound in humanity’s flesh. Every violent death diminishes us as people.” With this conviction, the bishops implored all Catholics and people of good will to speak out, act non-violently, and support campaigns to end arms sales to the region.

The bishops called for “nonviolent action, for boycotts in several spheres, protest action and denunciation of the spread of war across the Middle East. It has become one of the last acts of solidarity open to us and so we offer our condemnation of the hostilities in that spirit, with the hope that all people of goodwill will respond.”

The Latin Patriarchate has also called on global leaders “to raise their voices and to do all that is necessary in order to stop this tragedy, which is humanly and morally unjustified.” The statement highlighted that “death, suffering and destruction are everywhere,” and added, “The time has come to restore human dignity.”

Meanwhile, Cardinal Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III have personally entered Gaza to offer humanitarian support and pastoral care to survivors.

Read the Statement from the SACBC

‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ (Matt 25:40)

We, the Catholic Bishops of Southern Africa were distraught to learn of the killings, injuries and wanton destruction caused by the Israeli Defence Force in the compound of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza yesterday. We condemn this attack against the tiny Christian population in the land which we hold so dear, and we condemn the ongoing violence in the area in the strongest terms.

As the Latin Patriarchate has said so clearly in response, this has indeed been the fate of Gazans since 7 October 2023. We condemned the massacre by Hamas then but have been horrified that the response to the October 2023 massacres has been exceedingly disproportionate, contrary to the Human Rights Convention and Protocol for Peace and the Conduct of War.

The response to the massacre is now widely acknowledged across the world as genocide and ethnic cleansing. We share that assessment and so have given our support to the South African government’s case at the ICJ in The Hague accusing Israel of perpetrating acts of genocide. We had hoped that this would be one peaceful way of bringing pressure to bear on the warring parties to bring an end to this spiral of violence. It has not. The many countries which continue to supply weapons and sustain the rhetoric of war have made themselves complicit in what history will surely record as a ‘crime against humanity’.

Following Pope Francis’ exhortation, we call for an end to the manufacture of weapons and also for a speedy end to the export of weapons to theatres of war.

In keeping with the teaching of Jesus in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), we deplore the priest and Levite who avoided the reality of violence, pain and suffering and who turned their backs on the victim of theft and dispossession. If we remain silent now in the face of this ongoing violence, amidst the reality of the theft of land and houses and olive groves, then we will be no better than those who crossed over to the other side.

We therefore raise our voices in protest against the ongoing genocide, we join our voices with Pope Leo XIV in calling for a lasting ceasefire and for the release of hostages - including those in administrative detention.

We realise only too well that our prayers and solidarity have to be matched by actions. We call for nonviolent action, for boycotts in several spheres, protest action and denunciation of the spread of war across the Middle East. It has become one of the last acts of solidarity open to us and so we offer our condemnation of the hostilities in that spirit, with the hope that all people of goodwill will respond.

Cardinal Stephen Brislin President - Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference 18 July 2025

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