Within the days after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, supplied himself up as a hostage in alternate for the liberty of kidnapped Israeli kids.
The supply, reported by Vatican News, the Holy See’s information portal, was not taken up, however it nonetheless drew consideration to Cardinal Pizzaballa, who’s a contender to succeed Pope Francis.
As an Italian, Cardinal Pizzaballa would carry the papacy again beneath management of a rustic that dominated it for hundreds of years, after a spot of virtually 50 years. His lengthy expertise in a politically fraught area that’s the cradle of three main religions — he was ordained in 1990, on the age of 25, and moved to Jerusalem that yr — has additionally boosted his papal capital.
However Cardinal Pizzaballa is seen as a Vatican outsider, on condition that he has spent many years within the Center East, quite than constructing alliances nearer to dwelling.
Some cardinals and different members of the Roman Catholic Church’s hierarchy are additionally involved that Cardinal Pizzaballa, 60, could also be too younger for the job. Pope John Paul II was elected at 58 and served for 26 years. The prospect of one other papacy lasting a quarter-century or extra has given pause to among the cardinals who will elect the following pope.
Cardinal Pizzaballa’s reverence for conventional components of church observe has made him palatable to some conservatives. However after spending many years within the Center East, he’s one thing of a wild card, since his positions on many points which have induced division within the church usually are not identified.
What he does have, Vatican specialists agree, is a private contact as a church chief that Pope Francis valued.
“He embodies a pastoral method,” stated Massimo Faggioli, a professor of theology at Villanova College. “In Jerusalem, you take care of different religions which have sturdy opinions on these points, so it’s a must to not turn out to be a crusader in any doable sense of the phrase.”
Cardinal Pizzaballa “comes from a practical Catholic tradition,” Mr. Faggioli added. “He’s not going to wage a tradition struggle on sex- and gender-related points.”
The cardinal declined to remark for this text.
Cardinal Pizzaballa is credited with deftly navigating the Center East’s politics and communities, talking forcefully towards injustice and hatred but in addition making buddies amongst Jews, Muslims, Christians and different communities. Above all, he developed a popularity as somebody keen to hear.
Individuals who have labored carefully with him in Jerusalem described him as a succesful administrator and a humble chief with little time for pomp.
“He cares for the poor,” stated Wadie Abunassar, the coordinator of the Discussion board of Holy Land Christians, a nongovernmental group of Christian laity in Israel. “He helps in a discreet method. He’s an individual who likes to construct bridges with each human being.”
When Hamas attacked Israel in 2023, the cardinal had been in his new function for just a few days, however he had spent 35 years within the area. A Franciscan ordained in northern Italy, he grew to become a scholar of biblical theology in Jerusalem and ended up educating biblical Hebrew. Alongside his native Italian and Hebrew, he speaks English however solely restricted Arabic.
His skill with languages and deft diplomacy got here into use as he cared for Israel’s Hebrew-speaking Catholics, paying virtually month-to-month visits to parishes. He has additionally visited the tiny Christian group in Gaza in the course of the struggle there and has an open dialogue with Jewish Israelis.
Hana Bendcowsky, challenge director of the Jewish-Christian program on the Rossing Heart for Schooling and Dialogue, an interreligious group primarily based in Jerusalem, praised his work and stated she hoped he turns into pope — however not for one more decade. “We nonetheless want him right here,” she stated.
Xavier Abu Eid, a Palestinian political scientist and creator primarily based in Ramallah within the occupied West Financial institution, stated that many Palestinians consider that the cardinal ought to have spoken out extra forcefully towards Israel’s actions in Gaza, however added that there have been limits to how a lot may very well be anticipated of a church chief.
Francis did converse out as Palestinian casualties rose in Gaza, writing in a ebook launched in November that the struggle should be investigated to find out whether or not it constituted a genocide. This drew a harsh rebuke from a member of the Israeli authorities.
In April, the cardinal traveled to Rome to speak to Francis to prepare a gathering between him and rabbis involved in regards to the language he had used, in line with Oded Wiener, a former director-general of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel who was answerable for interfaith relations and the rabbinate’s relations with the Vatican.
A date was set for the assembly, however it didn’t occur, first for technical causes after which due to the decline in Francis’ well being, Mr. Wiener stated. It was not clear to what extent the cardinal personally sympathized with the issues of the rabbis.
In Francis’ final address, delivered the day earlier than he died, the pope stated that the rising local weather of antisemitism world wide was “worrying,” and he additionally denounced Gaza’s “deplorable humanitarian scenario.”
Patrick Kingsley contributed reporting from Jerusalem, and Emma Bubola from Rome.
