Jerusalem’s Catholic cardinal visits Chicago, calls for Gaza ceasefire

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, patriarch of the Holy Land, led Mass at Our Lady of the Ridge in Chicago Ridge. Attendees included hundreds of Arab Catholics.

By Mary Norkol

Updated

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa wears green vestments and a white mitre headdress while presiding over Mass at at Our Lady of the Ridge. — Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Jerusalem’s Catholic patriarch appointed by Pope Francis, presides over Mass at Our Lady of the Ridge in Chicago Ridge on Saturday.

Hundreds of Arab Catholics flocked to Mass in Chicago Ridge on Saturday as the pope’s representative in the Middle East greeted them, participated in the service and pushed for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, appointed patriarch of the Holy Land by Pope Francis, greeted parishioners and, at a news conference before leading Mass, called for a ceasefire in Gaza.

“Peace is not just an agreement,” Pizzaballa said. “It is the desire to live close to one another peacefully. We are not there yet, and we do not know when we will be there ... The first step is to stop the violence.”

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa is pushing for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Pizzaballa told the large group of Arab Catholics that the answer to the turmoil in Gaza and Israel should be a two-state solution.

Pizzaballa said the Catholic church has a role to play in pushing for peace in Gaza and said the pope is in daily contact with congregations in the region.

“Try to discreetly but stubbornly work for dialogue between the parties,” Pizzaballa said.

He said it’s possible to “help to create the social conditions, religious conditions in order to help this.”

Mark Nawas, one of the parishioners who was there Saturday, says the Mass is momentous because the congregation has been active for less than two years.

“We’ve been trying to build bridges between the U.S., our church, the homeland and churches in Jerusalem,” he said.

Nawas said having the cardinal from Jerusalem come to their church helps many Arab Catholics take pride in their culture.

“We’re Catholic, we’re Christian, so we’re going to pray,” Nawas said. “We pray for peace. We’re so sorry for all the innocent people on both sides.”

Walking into Mass, the cardinal was preceded by dozens of Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulchre and about 10 priests. As they came in, some parishioners were obviously moved, and some took photos on their phones.

“It’s something very nice, to see the desire and will to be community, to have a priest and to grow as a community,” Pizzaballa said.