Pope Francis phoned Gaza church every day

On Easter Monday, Father Gabriel Romanelli of Holy Family Church in Gaza City shared his emotional reflections on his final conversation with Pope Francis, who passed away earlier that day.

Speaking outside the Holy Family Church, Father Romanelli expressed the profound sorrow felt by many. "It's a very sad day for us," he told Sky News. "We lost him. In the same time, we lost him in Easter – for us as Christians, it's a good sign, a wonderful sign of the mercy of the Lord."

Father Romanelli recalled that the Pope had called on Saturday, expressing his gratitude, “He told us ‘thank you… for all that we made here.’" In the same breath, the Pope asked for continued prayers and offered a blessing to the Christian community and citizens in Gaza.

According to Father Romanelli, the Pope had been reaching out to Father Romanelli at the same hour every day for months, checking in on the priest and the small group sheltering inside the Holy Family Church in Gaza City.

"All the time he told us, for this period – more than one year and a half, and he called every day, every day – he asked to help people, to protect the children," Father Romanelli reflected. He described Pope Francis as "a very humble servant of the Lord."

George Antone, head of the emergency committee at the Holy Family Church, also paid tribute to the late pope. Speaking to Reuters, Antone said, "We lost a saint who taught us every day how to be brave, how to keep patient and stay strong." He continued, “We lost a man who fought every day in every direction to protect this small herd of his."

Antone emphasized that while Pope Francis' death has left the community heartbroken, his legacy remains strong. "We know that he is leaving behind a church that cares for us and that knows us by name – every single one of us. He used to tell each one: I am with you, don’t be afraid."

Pope Francis, in his final public message on Easter Sunday, reiterated his previous calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all "Israeli" captives, continuing his lifelong advocacy for peace and compassion.