Your Holiness,
On behalf of the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF), its President, Board of Directors, and the devoted Palestinian Christian community, I extend our warmest and most heartfelt congratulations on your election as the Supreme Pontiff of the Holy Catholic Church.
We lift our prayers with joy and reverence, asking the Lord to grant you wisdom, strength, and divine guidance as you undertake the sacred responsibility of leading the global Catholic Church in these challenging times. Your election is a profound source of hope and renewed faith for millions—especially for the Palestinian Christian community in the Holy Land, who look to the Holy See as a pillar of peace, justice, and unwavering solidarity.
As Arab Palestinians—the descendants of the first Christians and the living stones of the Church in the land of Christ’s birth—we stand united in our devotion to the Gospel and deeply inspired by your vision of unity, mercy, and the inherent dignity of every person. We look forward with great hope to your leadership in advancing peace across the Middle East and championing the rights, freedom, and enduring presence of both Palestinian Christians and Muslims. We also pray that your papacy may support the just realization of a sovereign Palestinian state in the land where Christianity was born.
We are particularly moved by Your Holiness’s recent statements calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and expressing your profound sorrow over the war devastating the Israeli-besieged enclave. Your compassionate appeal for urgent humanitarian relief for the exhausted civilian population and your firm stance on the unconditional release of all hostages held in Gaza reflect the moral clarity and deep pastoral care that our broken world so desperately needs.
We are equally touched to learn of the near-daily calls you have made to Gaza’s besieged Christian community—a true testament to your commitment to walking alongside the suffering and giving voice to the voiceless. With over 52,000 Palestinians killed and more than 120,000 wounded, your courage to speak truth with compassion offers hope and healing in a time of profound despair.
May the Holy Spirit guide and sustain you throughout your pontificate, and may your voice continue to echo the timeless message of Christ: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”
With deepest respect and in Christian solidarity,
Rateb Y. Rabie, KCHS
President & CEO
Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF)
