Jerusalem: The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, has reminded the faithful that the blood of the innocent in Gaza, the Holy Land, and across the world is not forgotten, but remains forever united with the sacrifice of Christ. Celebrating the Feast of the Assumption at the Benedictine Abbey of Abu Gosh, the Cardinal reflected that Christians are called to sow life and hope, even while standing amid the destructive force of evil.
“The pain of our times does not permit us to make abstract or sugar-coated speeches about peace,” the Patriarch said. “We are called instead to stand as believers within this drama, to endure its weight, and to continue witnessing to life so that evil does not have the final word.”
Drawing on the imagery of the Book of Revelation, Cardinal Pizzaballa described Satan as the dragon who continues to unleash fury upon the world, particularly against those who keep God’s commandments. He acknowledged the deep human longing for evil to be defeated quickly but reminded that “the power of the dragon will persist in this world and in our lives.”
Speaking of the Holy Land as both the place of God’s greatest revelation and of Satan’s fiercest assaults, the Patriarch cautioned that even when the war ends, vengeance, anger, and scars will remain. “The evil that governs hearts will not stop its activity,” he warned, urging Christians to remain vigilant and steadfast.
Yet, amid this reality, Pizzaballa stressed that believers are called to become a refuge “few, unaligned, and perhaps bothersome” but places where God provides, where the seed of life is protected and nurtured.
He assured the faithful that the blood of the innocent “is not cast aside in history, but mingled with the blood of the Lamb, sharing in the mystery of redemption.” Entrusting all to the Blessed Virgin Mary on her feast day, he said the Assumption is a foretaste of eternal freedom and a promise that life, not death, will prevail.