Reports about a possible evacuation order for the Catholic Church in Gaza have stirred confusion this week, with Father Gabriel Romanelli offering clarifications after earlier statements were widely circulated.
On August 18, Romanelli told the Italian news agency ANSA that “an evacuation order has arrived for the whole neighborhood. And they said they’re starting to hand out tents.” He added, “More than a million people have to leave the city to go south or center. The delivery of the tents is linked to the evacuation order” (LifeSiteNews).
The next day, however, his message shifted. Writing to Vatican News on August 19, the parish priest stated plainly: “There has been NO order of evacuation in this area of our neighborhood. Our area is in the Old City of Gaza, within the larger neighborhood of Zeytoun” (LifeSiteNews).
PRAYER FOR THE INNOCENT VICTIMS OF WAR
This apparent contradiction led to confusion, especially after Vatican News initially published a report on August 18 citing his first remarks—but later deleted the article. As LifeSiteNews observed, “as of August 19 it appears that Romanelli’s testimony has changed, with the Vatican News portals carrying only one story: namely, his statement that there is no evacuation order for the area including the Catholic church.”
A Church Under Fire
For months, Holy Family Parish has not only been a place of worship but also a refuge. Romanelli has said that as many as 600 people, including children and the disabled, have sheltered there. As of this week, he noted that around 450 remain (LifeSiteNews).
But the church compound has not been spared the violence of the ongoing conflict. Last month, an Israeli strike killed three people and injured 10 others—including Father Romanelli himself. The Israeli army later described the incident as a mistake, though condemnation followed from both religious and secular leaders. In late 2023, two women were reportedly killed by Israeli snipers while taking refuge inside the parish (LifeSiteNews).
“The area is dangerous. Bombings can be heard night and day. Some far away, others closer. At times, even shrapnel arrives,” Romanelli told Vatican News on August 19 (LifeSiteNews).
The Wider War and the Church’s Mission
The uncertainty surrounding the evacuation order comes as Israel presses ahead with plans to take full control of Gaza—plans that Catholic leaders have sharply criticized. Both Pope Leo XIV and the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem have called for an end to the war, urging a focus on humanitarian solutions (LifeSiteNews).
Despite the chaos and conflicting reports, the Church in Gaza continues to serve as a beacon of hope. “The local situation continues to be very serious here in the Gaza Strip where the war continues unabated. Every day the number of dead and injured rises, accompanied by the destruction of infrastructure,” Romanelli said in remarks to AgenSIR on August 18 (LifeSiteNews).
As the conflict intensifies, Holy Family Parish remains both a place of worship and a shelter for the vulnerable—its people caught between violence, uncertainty, and the Church’s unyielding call to charity and faith.
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