Romanian: Hope disappears in Gaza. People feel giving up

Roberto Cityra – Vatican City

“More than that there is no food, drinking water, medicines, and more than the danger of our safety, I am concerned about the lack of hope. Hope for this damned war, which returns peace, will end, which can remain on this land and rebuild destructive families, which can continue our small and flexible Christian society to watch. The tone that Father Gabriel responds is Romanian, the sponsor of the Sarrada Familia car in Gaza, for our phone call more emotional than ever.

“Hope fades, because people feel consideration and treatment as things, and not as topics with rights. Objects that can be transferred as desired. The vast majority of Gaza population are civilians, not part of the armed conflict. “It must resist our society because the mark of the Christian existence must remain in Gaza,” he added.

Father Gabriel, what is the special situation of the Christian community who was a refugee in the parish box for nearly 20 months?

Thanks to the help that comes from the church and many friends from all over the world, we have been able to help not only we have, but tens of thousands of families who, regardless of their religion or the field of origin, are asking for help through us. But now, for about three months, we have not received anything outside the tape: all the help, whether food, water, or medications are prohibited at the entrance to the Israeli army. But we have stored many of these things and ignored them managed to stay, only now we can no longer help outside our society. We still have some flour to make bread, but we have to get to know it several times because it is full of worms, and we must always purify the water to avoid diseases. We find vegetables from some farmers or in some improvised situations, but they are very expensive. One onion costs 10 euros. Tomatoes are slightly cheaper: cost a kilo more than 15 euros. Now we must manage with great caution the supplies we left for about 500 refugees, including nearly 50 children hosted by Mother Teresa Denit. We cannot find diapers around the tape, although they are very necessary for young and elderly; When this costs at least 3 euros each. Putting the medications also desperate, because we also reinforce the supplies. This is especially dangerous for chronic patients, heart patients, high blood pressure, and diabetes, who no longer have treatment. Wherever you look, you see the need. But, above all, no one can know what will be 2 million people. This is the uncertainty that generates loss of hope. They feel giving up everyone, and they feel that God alone cares about their fate. “

Do you listen to the explosions near you?

Yes, often. This morning (yesterday, editor) is still a little, because they seem to focus north. But we always listen to them, even large, even large. There is a “surreal” “usually”. While we talk, children play abroad, in rhetoric; If they listen to the explosions, until they closed, continue to play. Because the risk is entrusted with fate. When Israeli hunting passes, people seek a shelter in their homes, wait a few minutes until some fragments fall and then go out again and continue in their normal lives. Horror usually has become. “The same thing in the church: We all pray together, and suddenly shrapnel falls on the ceiling or the windows are suddenly open to the movement of the air, but we are still praying, which gives us this habit more security than fleeing.”

For several months, they felt comfortable with the daily phone call, every afternoon, for Pope Francis. Now is Pope Liu XIV. What do you expect from the new Pope?

Francisco call at 8:00 pm was called the “Pope’s time”. We still play the bells with Ave Maria every day at 8:00 pm. To remember those calls, and there are those who hear bells, they continue to scream “the Holy Father is a good night”, because their presence is still between us. What Pope Francis did to us is very unusual and has no precedents in history. Now, with Pope Liu XIV, we immediately felt a resistance catalyst when we put the screen in the church and fortunately there was electricity and the Internet – he started his service with his first words of protest for peace. We were all together, Catholics and Orthodox, as well as many Muslim friends, happy to listen to the new Pope asking for peace. Gaza and the world.

Father Gabriel, do you want to take advantage of this interview to send a message to Pope Lyon?

I certainly want to tell him that we are very grateful to the words of his peace and that the whole society is praying for him. And not only we, but also Catholics, Orthodox and Muslim, we know they have a father. It was near Pope Francis near the entire church. We continue to listen to Pope Lyon. Who is the successor of Pedro, the father of the church and the father of everyone? To all