Pope Leo XIV has denounced the ongoing war in Gaza as an act of “barbarity,” calling for an immediate ceasefire and renewed efforts toward peace. Speaking from the Vatican on Sunday, July 20, the pontiff intensified his moral appeal amid deepening violence in the region and days after a deadly strike damaged Gaza’s sole Catholic church, killing several civilians and injuring the parish priest.

The Pope’s statement came in the wake of an Israeli military attack on the Holy Family Church compound in Gaza City, which struck on July 17. The compound had been serving as a shelter for roughly 600 internally displaced people, many of them children and individuals with disabilities. Three civilians were killed in the blast, and several more were wounded, including Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish leader. “I learned with deep sorrow of the death of innocent people,” the Pope said, reading aloud the names of the victims during his Angelus address. The bombing left the church’s façade visibly scarred, with scorched masonry and shattered stained glass near its rooftop cross.

Israel’s military stated that the damage was caused unintentionally, the result of shrapnel from nearby tank fire. A spokesperson said the incident is under review. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally addressed the matter in a phone call with Pope Leo on July 18, extending his condolences and expressing regret over the casualties. According to a Vatican communique, the pontiff acknowledged the call but reiterated the urgent need for accountability and strict observance of humanitarian law.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, later echoed those concerns, describing the situation in Gaza as “unbearable” and condemning what he referred to as “a war without limits.” Speaking on July 19, Parolin called for transparency in the investigation into the church strike, noting that referring to the attack as a mistake is “not enough.” “We are witnessing the erosion of any remaining restraint,” he warned, adding that Gaza’s population is being “slowly destroyed, starved and forced to flee under fire.”

According to the Holy See, the Pope has maintained near-daily contact with senior clergy in the region. On July 18, he spoke by phone with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, to discuss the unfolding crisis and express his spiritual closeness to the Catholic community in Gaza. “It is time to stop this slaughter,” the Pope is reported to have said, renewing his appeal for dialogue, reconciliation and the protection of civilian life.

Since his election in May 2025, Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly urged both sides in the Israel-Hamas conflict to end the violence. His calls have centered not only on halting military operations but also on ensuring access to humanitarian aid and releasing all civilian hostages. In Sunday’s statement, he once again underscored the importance of adhering to international norms and avoided assigning blame, instead urging global actors to act decisively: “Peace will not arrive through silence, but through courage.”

While a formal investigation by Israel into the church bombing is still pending, the Holy See has made clear that it expects full accountability. Vatican officials have stressed that the Church’s role as a humanitarian and spiritual actor in Gaza must be protected. As the conflict continues to claim lives and drive displacement, Pope Leo’s message adds to mounting international pressure for a sustainable ceasefire and a political resolution to a war now entering its tenth month.