World leaders 'appalled' by Gaza church attack, amid calls between Vatican, Tel Aviv and Washington

JERUSALEM (OSV News) -- Amid mounting international concern, leaders across the globe condemned the July 17 attack on the Holy Family Parish in Gaza City, which left three dead and at least 10 injured, including the parish priest Father Gabriel Romanelli.

Statements denouncing the Israeli strike poured in from the Vatican, United States, Europe and Latin America. United Nations' Secretary General António Guterres likewise strongly condemned the attack that hit the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip -- one that Pope Francis used to call nightly and for whom Pope Leo XIV offered comfort and prayers July 18.

Stephanie Tremblay, a spokesperson for the secretary general, noted that the church was both a place of worship and a sanctuary for civilians.

"Attacks on places of worship are unacceptable. People seeking shelter must be respected and protected, not hit by strikes," she said during the daily media briefing in New York.

In the morning of July 18, the Holy Father received a phone call at his residence in Castel Gandolfo from Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"During the conversation, the Holy Father renewed his appeal for renewed momentum in the negotiations and for a ceasefire and an end to the war," a statement from the Vatican following the call said.

"He reiterated his concern for the dramatic humanitarian situation of the population in Gaza, whose heartbreaking price is paid in particular by children, the elderly, and the sick," while also urging the protection of "places of worship and, above all, the faithful and all people in Palestine and Israel."

Echoing Pope Leo's earlier calls for ceasefire, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and head of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, issued a strongly worded statement July 17 calling for an "immediate ceasefire and dialogue for peace."

Archbishop Broglio said U.S. Catholic bishops were "deeply saddened" by the deaths and injuries.

"Our first concern, naturally, goes out to Father (Gabriel) Romanelli and all his parishioners, most especially to the families of those killed," he said. "Yesterday was the memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, through her intercession, may there be peace in Gaza."

Similar expressions of sorrow and solidarity poured in from the president of the EU bishops' body, the Argentine bishops' conference and the archbishop of Westminster, all decrying the strike and urging renewed efforts toward peace and protection of innocent lives.

Bishop Mariano Crociata, president of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union, expressed "deep emotion and grave concern" over the attack in a July 17 statement. The news of the attack reached him while he was in Ukraine on a three-day solidarity visit.

"This brief message is born in the heart of a journey lived alongside a people who have long borne the weight of war," he said. "For this reason, with even greater conviction, I join the cry of those who call for peace and for respect of every human life, wherever it may be."

He said the conference strongly reaffirmed its opposition to every form of war and armed conflict, stressing that war is "always a defeat for humanity and a wound to the dignity of every person."

The Episcopal Commission for Ecumenism and Relations with Judaism, Islam and Other Religions of the Argentine bishops' conference said in a July 17 statement that it "deeply regrets" the violent attack and its resulting deaths and injuries, including that of Father Romanelli, who is originally from Argentina.

"We pray for them and for all the victims of this tragic conflict, and we join Pope Leo XIV once again in calling for a ceasefire," the commission said.

The archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols condemned the strike in a July 17 statement, calling it "appalling," and he affirmed his solidarity with Father Romanelli and all the people sheltering in the compound. He said he prayed for the injured and dead.

"For twenty months, the Church of the Holy Family has managed to be a place of sanctuary and spiritual support amidst the horrors of war, feeding and protecting hundreds of people," he said in the statement. "I add my voice to Pope Leo's call for a return of hostages, an immediate ceasefire to end the suffering in Gaza and bring peace to the region. I encourage you, in your homes and parishes, to pray for peace and an end to this war."

In a statement released July 17 and posted on X, Cardinal Fernando Chomali, archbishop of Santiago, Chile, whose grandparents are Palestinian, expressed his "total and unequivocal rejection" of the attack.

"When an attack is made against the house of God, it is an attack against what is most sacred to the human person -- their faith, which is a source of hope and charity," he said. "This inhuman act must be universally condemned by all people of goodwill and must deeply challenge those who still believe that violence will achieve their political goals."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a July 17 statement that Israel "deeply regrets that stray ammunition hit Gaza's Holy Family Church."

"Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. We share the grief of the families and the faithful," he said. "We are grateful to Pope Leo for his words of comfort. Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites."

Earlier in the day, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said U.S. President Donald Trump did not have a "positive reaction" to the attack.

During a call in which the U.S. president and Israeli prime minister discussed the attack, Netanyahu described the attack as a "mistake," Leavitt said.

Oren Marmorstein, spokesman for Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote in a post on X that "The IDF is examining this incident, the circumstances of which are still unclear and the results of the investigation will be published transparently."

"Israel never targets churches or religious sites and regrets any harm to a religious site or to uninvolved civilians," he said.