WelCom March 2024
Pope Francis denounced the killing of civilians amid ongoing conflicts around the world, including in Gaza and Ukraine in an address in January to diplomats accredited to the Vatican. He said, ‘modern wars no longer take place only on clearly defined battlefields, nor do they involve soldiers alone.’ The Pope delivered a warning to aggressor nations: ‘In a context where it appears that the distinction between military and civil objectives is no longer respected, there is no conflict that does not end up in some way indiscriminately striking the civilian population,’ he said, adding, ‘the events in Ukraine and Gaza are clear proof of this.’

Mena Antonio, Kaiwhakahaere Matua | Chief Executive, Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand
‘The sheer brutality of this war has left no corner untouched, and the streets echo with the cries of those who have lost their loved ones. In this humanitarian crisis, the stories streaming from Gaza show suffering beyond comprehension.’
So reads the most recent account from our partners Caritas Jerusalem working on the ground in Gaza.
Jesus wept. The shortest scripture depicts the deepest pain and suffering. I weep.
As a woman of faith, a mother, a human, an employer, a witness processing the horror of women giving birth in inhumane situations; of mothers not knowing whether their children are alive or will ever return. I weep.
I’m mindful of our staff, especially the younger ones, working directly on this cause. I turned off social media four weeks ago, but I hadn’t advised staff to do the same. To witness is harrowing, but the guilt of not doing so is heavy – every day we hear the pleas from the Holy Land not to turn our gaze away.
I also recall my recent visit to the Old City in Jerusalem. The women of Jerusalem once wept at the Eighth Station of the Cross. Now women of the world weep for the women of the Holy Land. A Palestinian Christian woman retold her story when pregnant she was forced at gunpoint to go through x-ray body scans repeatedly at checkpoints, and then refused entry into Israel. An Israeli women lauded the dividing walls that kept her family safe because they lived every day with fear of terrorist attacks. The degradation, humiliation and fear people live with daily, in the same lands Jesus lived and ministered, stays with me. This war has forced humanity to new, unfathomable and dark places.
How do we respond?
How then can we judge what is happening in Gaza? There are diverse views among our staff; Justice and Peace Commission members; Church community members who contact us. This diversity can make it difficult to reconcile with one another. The Holy Land has a complex history with multiple narratives, yet we cannot hide behind this complexity in the face of tragedy.
We hear we cannot take sides, as we must remain apolitical and neutral to provide aid to the poor and vulnerable. Yet at the same time, we know that standing with the poor and supporting them is inherently political. How then can Caritas as the social justice agency fulfil its mandate?
Ultimately, we do take a side – the side of peace, of justice, and of the poor. And it is from this position we must decide how to act, guided by Catholic Social teaching principles:
Human dignity and the protection of life – understands that everyone one of us is in made in God’s image. Our common humanity requires that we respect and uphold each and every human being. The notion that each life has value is shared with International Human Rights which are also universal, inviolable and inalienable. Thus, all prisoners and hostages held without just cause must be released. Most of all, we call for a permanent ceasefire. We have called for humanitarian corridors to be opened to relieve the suffering – this is the immediate critical need for the essentials of life, medicines, water, food; and the preservation of life – a dignified life.
We advocate for all peoples of the Holy Land – including the people of the West Bank to live with dignity and the means to do so.
We do not take political sides – each word is carefully crafted for publication. The weight of responsibility to convey our messages of hope, peace and solidarity is palpable.
Solidarity and the promotion of peace – we seek not just a ceasefire, but an enduring political solution. The call for lands where all people can live without fear, freedom of movement, safe future for children and stable government. Access to essentials of life.
Through the grappling, the pressure to take one side over another, the dilemmas, the enormity of it all, we are steadfast that peace is the answer. Peace is never non-political, but it stands above and beyond politics. We are the agency of Peace. We are charity. Pope Francis has described Caritas as the tenderness of the Church. Peace is our firm stand.
