DETROIT — Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa is one of the most well-known Catholic prelates in the world. But the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem doesn’t quite get what all the fuss is about.
After all, he considers the episode that first brought him to the wider world’s attention to have been nothing more than a basic instance of pastoral duty.
The incident in question occurred shortly after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. With the Islamist group holding several Israeli children hostage, journalists asked Cardinal Pizzaballa, the highest-ranking Catholic in the Holy Land, if he would be willing to offer himself in exchange for hostages. His affirmative response went viral.
“I don’t understand why this created so much attention,” shared Cardinal Pizzaballa in a recent interview with EWTN News amid a three-day visit to the Archdiocese of Detroit. “Because this is what any pastor should do: give your life for your flock, for your people, the people you love.”
“I am a consecrated person; I gave my life to God, so my life doesn’t belong to me,” continued the cardinal. “To donate the life is part of my vocation and all [that] I am. I don’t feel like I’m a
Read more...
