An Israeli airstrike struck a Catholic church in Derdghaya, southern Lebanon on October 9, killing at least eight people. The Melkite Greek Catholic church was sheltering displaced civilians at the time of the attack.
The airstrike also destroyed a priest’s house and a three-story parish building. “The church and two adjoining halls collapsed in the airstrike,” reported Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), a Catholic charity active in the region.
On X (formerly Twitter), Pope Francis called for peace, saying that “all nations have the right to exist in peace and security.” He emphasized the need for an immediate cease-fire on all fronts of war in the Middle East, including Lebanon.
Writing to L’Osservatore Romano and reported by Vatican News, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, praised the Pope’s compassion, noting he was “the only world leader who acknowledges the human suffering of all in the region.”
The cardinal said the Church is responding with “weapons of love.”
ACN has been providing aid, including food parcels and medical help, to thousands of families remaining in southern Lebanon despite the dangers.
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