Cardinal Zuppi in Bethlehem: The suffering of children is unacceptable

Image: Caritas Baby Hospital

Source: Vatican Media, SIR News Agency

More than 14,000 children have been killed in Gaza since the war began. An estimated 410,000 children under the age of 18 are suffering many challenging health conditions, and injuries.

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna and President of the Italian Bishops' Conference, recently made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with 160 pilgrims from his diocese. On 15 June he visited Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem.

Shireen Khamis from the hospital press office told Cardinal Zuppi: "the war makes it even harder for families to bring their children here for treatment. In the first three months of the conflict, 7,000 children were unable to receive the care they needed due to the numerous Israeli checkpoints.

"Moreover, the war has deepened the already severe economic crisis. Many families, deprived of income from tourism and pilgrimages, cannot afford medical care."

Despite these hardships, the Caritas Baby Hospital remains steadfast in its mission. Shireen said: "In mid-March we welcomed 68 children from the Gaza Strip. They are now under the care of SOS Children's Villages, with medical treatment provided by our hospital".

Cardinal Zuppi visited the patients and their parents, offering them words of comfort. He also talked with the dedicated medical staff. "This is a place where the immense suffering of children is met with compassion and care. But we must recognise that not every child is so fortunate," he noted.

"We must begin here to understand what the most vulnerable need to ensure they receive all they are entitled to. The suffering of children is unacceptable, and we must work to make adults understand this."

The Cardinal emphasised the importance of remembering all children affected by conflict, citing the tragic deaths of Israeli children in October and the ongoing deaths and casualties among Palestinian children in Gaza over the past eight months.

He recalled hearing firsthand from some of the patients about horrific experiences in Gaza, "such as undergoing amputations without anaesthesia."

Cardinal Zuppi went on to stress that "we must strive to create a future that is possible for these children. By looking into their eyes, we understand our responsibilities. Hatred, the relentless logic of violence, and the failure to recognise the suffering of others while focusing only on our own pain - all these perpetuate further violence and claim more innocent lives, especially among children".

Finally, Cardinal Zuppi said he is striving "to understand these pains and confront them with a united love, by being close, offering help, and praying fervently for the courage to achieve a ceasefire and urgently pursue dialogue."

LINK

Caritas Baby Hospital: www.cbh.ps/en/page/the-hospital