Pope Francis appoints Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem as cardinal

JERUSALEM, Palestine – Pope Francis has appointed Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, to the high rank of cardinal.

The appointment is seen as a sign of support for Pizzaballa and the Christian community in Israel, which is increasingly facing attacks and harassment from right-wing extremists.

Pizzaballa told the media that the new far-right government in Israel has worsened the lives of Christians and emboldened extremists who harass clergy and destroy religious property.

He also said it had become difficult to meet with high-ranking Israeli officials, a problem he had never faced before.

Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski said the situation of Christians in Jerusalem is a priority of Polish foreign policy.

Deborah Lipstadt, the U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism, has also met with Christian church leaders in Jerusalem to discuss the increasing hostility toward Christians.

The Israeli Interior Ministry has stated that it is continuously working to promote religious freedom and protect holy sites, but Christian leaders believe that the government is not doing enough to address the problem.

Many Christian leaders believe that the attacks on Christians are part of a broader plan to Judaize Jerusalem’s Old City.

There are approximately 185,000 Christians living in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem, or just under two percent of the country’s population.

The vast majority of them are Palestinians living in Nazareth and Haifa, while about 13,000 live in Jerusalem.