Pope Leo is facing growing criticism over his response to an Israeli air strike on the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, which killed three people and wounded several others, including a pastor.
The Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem confirmed that Father Gabriel Romanelli was among the wounded and said the strike caused significant structural damage to the Holy Family Church, where displaced Palestinian civilians had been sheltering.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the strike and said “the attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable".
In a statement, Pope Leo expressed sorrow and called for peace, but stopped short of naming Israel as the attacker, prompting disappointment from Palestinian Christians and observers around the world.
He wrote: “I am deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack on the Holy Family Catholic Church in #Gaza. I assure the parish community of my spiritual closeness. I commend the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of Almighty God, and pray for their families and the injured. I renew my call for an immediate ceasefire. Only dialogue and reconciliation can ensure enduring peace!”
Social media users have demanded a clearer call for accountability. One user described the statement as “a shameful response".
"The Christians of Gaza are not suffering because they’ve failed to commit to 'dialogue and reconciliation'," they said.
Many social media users drew comparisons between Pope Leo and his predecessor Pope Francis, expressing disappointment in the new pope’s response.
Many recalled how Pope Francis maintained nightly phone calls with Gaza’s Christian community and had grown increasingly vocal in criticising Israel’s military campaign.
One user said: “Pope Francis much missed. This is a cowardly message... omitting even who the perpetrators were." Others accused Pope Leo of failing to "call the church" or "call out the perpetrators".
Meanwhile, Israel's government welcomed the pope's words.
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office read: “We are grateful to Pope Leo for his words of comfort… Israel is investigating the incident.”
That endorsement prompted fresh backlash online. “This is straight embarrassing,” one user wrote.
Another said: “How dare you. Pope Leo’s words of comfort are for the people you attacked, not for you and your murderous government.”
Early this year, the spokesperson for Gaza's Ministry of Endowments told Anadolu Agency that three churches have been demolished in Gaza since 7 October 2023, while 79 percent of mosques have been destroyed. The overall death toll in Gaza has reached 58,573, with 139,607 more wounded, according to Palestinian health sources.