Priest recounts his experience in Jerusalem during an Iranian attack

El P. Filippo Morlacchi, priest the gift of faith of the Diocese of Rome in the Holy City, counted “more than a hundred” glowing contrails in the middle of the night: they were missiles over the sky of Jerusalem that were fired from Iran. In an interview with Vatican Newsthe priest claimed to feel “very afraid” during one of the attacks in recent days.

“So I went to take refuge in a safer part of my house. But perhaps it would have been useless: the power of those explosions would have annihilated any shelter. Anyone,” he said.

Father Morlacchi is located in what is probably the area of ​​Jerusalem most prone to attacks, on the border line between east and west, twenty meters from the Damascus Gate, the entrance to the Old City.

The priest, who works for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, expressed that the attack on October 1 has seriously affected the daily life of the Holy City, already accustomed in a certain sense to the conflict. There is little movement and several commercial establishments have stopped working. The police are no longer seen on the streets. “Deep down, it is a surreal situation that we have been experiencing for months,” he said.

The attacks launched from Iran left no deaths or injuries, unlike those that Israel unleashed against a good part of Lebanese territory in recent days. Father Morlacchi calls the missiles “messengers of death” and believes that those he was able to observe “were directed at military targets, not civilian ones.”

“A few hours before the attack, the authorities had asked for caution: celebrations and events with large crowds had even been prohibited. It must be remembered that tonight (from October 2 to October 4) the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins, and next week crowds of believers were expected at the Wailing Wall who are now no longer They will be able to participate in these religious rites,” explained the priest.

Finally, he affirmed that the duty of Christians in the region is to pray incessantly for peace. For this reason, he expressed that they will join the day of prayer called by Cardinal Pizzaballa on October 7.

“Here each Christian does nothing other than continue invoking peace. And advocate for common sense. Christians are witnesses of a delirium in which the force of evil is perceived. And they wish it would end soon,” he said. This feeling of the Christian community contrasts with the feelings of both sides in conflict: “Those on the Jewish or pro-Jewish side are profoundly different from those on the Arab or pro-Arab side. The Israelis are fearful, the Arabs are euphoric,” said Father Morlacchi.

“I would like the Holy Land to become a place where everyone can truly meet. And they can truly coexist,” he concluded.

“Pain for the horror of the catastrophe” in Lebanon

During their monthly meeting, chaired by Cardinal Béchara Boutros Raï, the Maronite bishops expressed their “sorrow for the horror of the catastrophe that has devastated Lebanon” which, they say, has affected many innocent civilians, including Christians.

According to the Vatican agency Fidesthe bishops also disapproved of “the prolonged Israeli aggression, which has caused hundreds of martyrs and victims, among them the Secretary General of Hezbollah, Syed Hassan Nasrallah, and many other leaders of the Shiite movement.”

The Maronite Episcopate, in the voice of Cardinal Raï, asks God for “mercy for those who have been murdered and consolation for their families and the wounded.” The bishops highlighted the work of doctors and health personnel, who work heroically despite the serious political and economic crisis that has affected Lebanon for several years.

In that sense, they called on Parliament to “do its duty” and, after a long time and “a lot of suffering, a new President of the Republic can be elected to complete the picture of constitutional institutions.”

Likewise, they specified that the international community must assume “its responsibilities by working for an immediate ceasefire and applying international decisions.” The bishops concluded by asking the Lebanese people to “awaken a conscience that preserves and nourishes” national unity, to which the canonization of the martyrs of Damascus on October 20 especially contributes.