‘Children continue to be bombed in Gaza. This is cruelty, not war.

During the greetings to the Roman Curia, a new strong denunciation of what continues to happen in the Strip, where in recent hours even Patriarch Pizzaballa has been prevented from entering for his Christmas visit. To collaborators, on the occasion of Christmas, the invitation to cultivate humility to “speak well and not evil of others”, like God who “does not bless from above, but becomes flesh.”

Vatican City () – «Yesterday they did not let the Patriarch of Jerusalem enter Gaza, they did not allow him. And they were also bombed yesterday. To the children. This is cruelty. This is not war. “I want to say it because it touches the heart.” On the eve of Christmas, Pope Francis once again denounced what is happening in Gaza, addressing the cardinals, bishops, priests and lay people of the Roman Curia, gathered this morning in the Hall of Blessings for the traditional Christmas greeting.

Before delivering the prepared speech – echoing some words about the war spoken by Card. Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the Sacred College, in his congratulatory speech – Francisco wanted to relate what happened yesterday in the Strip, where the Christmas visit of Card. Pierbattista Pizzaballa to the Latin parish of the Holy Family. And where, above all, despite the fact that for days there has been talk of a ceasefire agreement that would be close, even yesterday the Israeli bombardment that has lasted for 14 months continued to sow death.

But Gaza is not just war, death and rubble. It is a city with very ancient roots, the cradle for Christians of a very rich monastic tradition. And, significantly, it is precisely from a quote from one of his most illustrious voices – Dorotheus of Gaza, a monk who lived in the 6th century – that Pope Francis wanted to take an example for his words to the Roman Curia this Christmas, focused in the evangelical invitation “Bless and do not curse.” “Speaking well of others and not bad, is something that concerns us all,” commented the pontiff. And it was precisely the monk Dorotheus who suggested “the humility of accusing oneself” as a method to learn not to speak ill of one’s neighbor.

«Accusing oneself – explained the pontiff – is the root that allows us to say no to individualism and yes to the community spirit, to the ecclesial spirit. “Whoever practices the virtue of accusing himself frees himself from suspicion and leaves room for the action of God.” And it is precisely this – he added – that gives rise to a community: «If one sees a defect in a person, one can only talk to three people: with God, with that person or with those in the community who can take care of that person. And nothing more.

For Francis, the humility of someone who knows how to accuse himself “is not a moral fact, but rather a theological one. It is to make one’s own the style of God who “has blessed us not with a decree coming down from above, but through the flesh.” «In the face of the drama of humanity», the Pope recalled, »what does God do? Does he rise from on high in his righteousness? No: God is God, his thoughts are not our thoughts. “He becomes small in the bosom of an invisible woman.”

“I like to think of the Roman Curia,” he continued, “as a great workshop where there are many different tasks, but they all work toward the same goal: to bless, to infuse the world with the blessing of God and Mother Church.” In particular, Francis wanted to mention the work of the minutemen, that is, those priests who prepare the texts of the responses sent on behalf of the pontiff to the numerous people who write to him asking for support on the path of their lives, in moments of joy. or even suffering. He called them the “craftsmen of blessing.”

But he also addressed the invitation to coherence to them: “We cannot write blessings and then speak ill of our brother,” he admonished, again directing the invitation to avoid “chatter.” And he concluded with a wish: “May the Lord help us to always bless women and men.”