In a time overshadowed by conflict and division, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa offers a deeply pastoral reminder: Jerusalem is not a prize of war, but a sacred gift entrusted to all humanity. Calling it the “heart of the world,” he points to its unique place in the life of billions of believers and urges the global community to safeguard its universal mission.

Reflecting on the violence following the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, the cardinal laments a growing culture of division, where the “other” is increasingly dehumanized and once-meaningful words like justice, dialogue, and human rights risk becoming empty. Yet even in this darkness, he directs the faithful toward a higher vision, one rooted in the heavenly Jerusalem of the Book of Revelation, an open city called not to exclude, but to reconcile and “heal the nations.”

For Christians in the Holy Land, this calling is concrete and immediate. They are not distant observers, but active members of their societies, invited to be witnesses of the Gospel from within. Through prayer, which he describes as the very breath of the Church, through strong families, faithful education, and works of charity, they become instruments of peace in a wounded land.

This witness, however, is being carried in an environment marked in 2026 by documented escalation in violence and intimidation against Christian communities, particularly in the West Bank. Reports from early 2026 describe settler attacks on Christian families in villages such as Taybeh, including stone throwing, property invasions, and intimidation tactics that have left residents fearful and disrupted daily life . In February 2026, accounts from the same region describe arson attacks on vehicles and repeated incursions into the only largely Christian village in the area, with clergy warning that the pattern is becoming systematic rather than isolated.

By March 2026, senior Church leaders publicly stated that “aggressions against Christians are multiplying,” including threats, land access restrictions, and vandalism such as burned cars and damaged property . These developments have contributed to a growing sense among local Christians that their physical security and long-term presence are increasingly under pressure.

The path is not easy, but it is clear. To reject the logic of violence and choose the way of life, without losing hope. Echoing the joy of the disciples in the Gospel of Luke, the cardinal calls the faithful to return to Jerusalem with a deeper, paschal joy, one rooted in the certainty that Christ’s light overcomes darkness and His love has the power to disarm even the deepest hatred.

One year after the passing of Pope Francis, the Church in Rome gathered in prayer at the Basilica of Basilica of St. Mary Major to give thanks for a life marked by humility, mercy, and missionary zeal. Cardinals, bishops, clergy, and lay faithful filled the sacred space where the late pontiff now rests, entrusting him once more to the mercy of God.

At the same time, Pope Pope Leo XIV, traveling in Africa, offered his own remembrance through a message read at the Mass. He recalled Francis as a shepherd who proclaimed the Gospel “to everyone, everyone, everyone,” and who called the Church to be open, missionary, and close to the wounds of the world.

The liturgy was celebrated by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who echoed the enduring themes of Francis’ pontificate, the joy of the Gospel, the mercy of God, and the image of a Church that “builds bridges and not walls.” His words reflected a legacy rooted not in power, but in service.

Before the Mass, a commemorative plaque was unveiled honoring Francis’ frequent visits to the Basilica and his deep devotion to the icon of the Virgin Mary, Salus Populi Romani. It was a quiet sign of a life shaped by prayer and maternal trust, and a reminder of where he wished to rest.

The celebration concluded with prayer at the tomb of the late pope, as the Church commended him to God. In the words of the Jubilee he once proclaimed, hope does not disappoint, a truth now entrusted to memory, and to the future of a missionary Church still called to proclaim mercy to the ends of the earth.