VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Cardinal Raymond Burke echoed Pope Leo’s condemnation of the situation in Gaza, saying it is “unjust” for Christians to be “forced to leave their homeland.”
“The work carried out in the (Gaza) Strip by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa is invaluable, as he bears witness to faith in a concrete way by pointing out to those involved the possible solutions offered by faith,” Burke said recently.
Cardinal Pizzaballa has been based in the Holy Land for 30 years, first as a student, next as Custos of the Holy Land for 12 years, then serving as Apostolic Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate for four years, and now Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem since 2020.
Since being made cardinal by Pope Francis in September 2023, coinciding with the resurgence of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, his voice has become a regular feature on the international stage calling for peace.
His now-famous offer to be exchanged for Israeli hostages held by Hamas has been supported by his stance advocating for peace in the region generally while also advocating for the rights of Catholics and Christians in the region.
“As pastor of my community, I have to do all that is possible to save my people, and to stop this nonsense war,” Pizzaballa said when asked by LifeSiteNews what inspired him to offer himself as an exchange.
Echoing the patriarch’s themes, Burke commented:
It is unacceptable that each generation should relive the same hostilities with terrible attacks on civilians and the atrocious suffering of families and children. What is happening in Gaza is unacceptable.
In recent days, mixed messages emerged about a mandatory evacuation order for the Catholic parish in Gaza. The latest word from the parish priest on August 19 was that no such order had arrived, but on August 20 the Latin Patriarchate said that the situation was “rapidly evolving” with several areas in the city near to the church having been given evacuation orders by Israeli forces.
Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem says this morning it “is closely monitoring the rapidly evolving situation in Gaza City, particularly in light of recent decisions and the ongoing mobilization towards an imminent invasion.”
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Reports received from our parish of the Holy Family… https://t.co/YLj03duhT6 pic.twitter.com/LkKmpWEm8l— Michael Haynes 🇻🇦 (@MLJHaynes) August 20, 2025
Condemning this, Burke echoed Leo XIV:
The Pope has said no to the forced removal of a people from their land and to collective punishment. As Christians, we must be distressed by the ever-dwindling presence of Christians in the Holy Land. They are being forced to leave their homeland: it is unjust and painful.
READ: Pope Leo XIV urges Middle East Christians to ‘remain in their native lands’
In the first week of his pontificate, Leo XIV issued a call for Christians in the Middle East to remain in their native lands.
“I thank God for those Christians – Eastern and Latin alike – who, above all in the Middle East, persevere and remain in their homelands, resisting the temptation to abandon them,” he said during an audience for the Jubilee of Oriental Churches. “Christians must be given the opportunity, and not just in words, to remain in their native lands with all the rights needed for a secure existence. Please, let us strive for this!”
Leo has regularly reiterated his calls for peace in Ukraine and in Gaza, as has Pizzaballa.
Addressing the media after his visit to Gaza in late July – after an Israeli strike on the Catholic church there – Pizzaballa redoubled the strength of his statements. “It is time to end this nonsense, end the war and put the common good of people as the top priority.”
Then, during his homily for the Assumption on Friday, the cardinal suggested that Satan especially seeks to gain control over the Holy Land:
We will have to struggle with the consequences of this war on people’s lives for a long time to come. It really does seem that our Holy Land, which houses the highest revelation and manifestation of God, is also the place of the highest manifestation of Satan’s power. And perhaps precisely because it is the place where the heart of salvation history is located, it is also the place where “the Ancient Adversary” tries to assert himself more than anywhere else.
Pizzaballa has previously commented that he has hope for a peaceful solution in the region, though little earthly expectation. In 2023, he reconsecrated the region to Our Lady Queen of Palestine, whose feast is celebrated on October 25 and who is the patroness of the diocese.
The cardinal urged a move away from the use of arms, writing that “our speech must not be about death and closed doors. On the contrary, our words must be creative, lifegiving, they must give perspective and open horizons.”
