The Holy Father on Sunday, Dec. 17, condemned an Israeli military attack on the compound on Gaza’s Holy Family Catholic Parish which led to the death of two Christian women, destroying a convent in the Missionaries of Charity.

“A mother, Mrs. Nahida Khalil Anton, and her daughter, Samar Kamal Anton, were killed, and others were wounded by the shooters while they were going to the bathroom,” the Pope said.

In a Vatican News report, Pope Francis also appealed for the end of terrorism in the Holy Land.

“Some say, ‘This is terrorism. This is war.’ Yes, it is war. It is terrorism,” he said. “That is why the Scripture affirms that ‘God stops wars… breaks the bow, splinters the spear’ (Psalm 46:10). Let us pray to the Lord for peace.”

Pope Francis appeals for an end to the war ravaging the Holy Land, praying especially for Christians holed up in the Holy Family Catholic Parish in Gaza.https://t.co/wcn8ivGGeb pic.twitter.com/iZauakN2B3

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) December 17, 2023