BETHLEHEM / PNN —
Children who once welcomed Pope Francis during his historic 2014 visit to Dheisheh Refugee Camp gathered once again at the Phoenix Centre, this time to bid a solemn farewell to the pontiff who had championed their cause. Together with other children and dignitaries, they watched the funeral ceremony of Pope Francis and expressed their grief for the loss of a leader who, even in his final days, spoke out against the ongoing violence in Gaza.
The memorial event in Dheisheh was attended by prominent Palestinian figures, including Muhammad Khalil al-Laham, a member of the Palestinian National and Central Councils; Bethlehem Governor Muhammad Taha Abu Alia; Saeed al-Azzeh, head of the Popular Committee for Services at Aida Refugee Camp; senior security officials; Fatah movement leaders; Lucy Thaljieh, deputy mayor of Bethlehem; representatives of civil society organisations; and dozens of camp children waving Vatican flags.
A Mourning for a Voice of Conscience
Muhammad Khalil al-Laham described the gathering as both a humanitarian and political tribute to a man whose papacy was marked by his deep empathy for oppressed peoples.
Speaking to PNN, al-Laham said Pope Francis, having personally experienced suffering, showed unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people, condemning the acts of genocide they continue to endure across Gaza and the West Bank.
"In a world gripped by brutality and the legitimisation of violence, he stood as a rare and noble voice for justice and human dignity," al-Laham said. “He defended Palestinians’ right to live freely and peacefully in their homeland.”
He recalled that Pope Francis had repeatedly called for an end to the massacres in Gaza and expressed hope that the next pontiff would continue the late Pope’s advocacy for Palestinian rights.
Saeed al-Azzeh, head of the Popular Committee at Aida Camp, also extended his condolences, describing Pope Francis as a figure of great significance to the Palestinian cause, particularly in his advocacy for refugees.
"He visited camps in both Palestine and Lebanon, standing in solidarity with our right to return," al-Azza said. “We remember his prayer for the removal of the separation wall and his call for a two-state solution.”
Al-Azzeh noted that the children's participation in the ceremony was particularly poignant, as Pope Francis had consistently preached love and peace for the children of Palestine.
Children Send a Message of Love and Loss
Today, those same children, some now young adults, conveyed their sorrow at his passing.
Khaled al-Sayfi, representing the Phoenix cultural centre (which had hosted the Pope in 2014), explained that the event was organised by camp residents—youth, children, and women—insisting on honouring the Pope in the same venue and with the same spirit of gratitude.
"His departure is a loss not just for the Catholic world, but for Christians, Muslims, and the poor everywhere," al-Sayfi said.
He praised Pope Francis for his open-minded leadership and his role in promoting interfaith dialogue, noting that even in his youth, he opposed tyranny in Argentina.
Al-Sayfi also highlighted Pope Francis' symbolic raising of the Palestinian flag and his calls for a two-state solution, as well as his stark comparisons between Gaza’s plight and the horrors of forced displacement and genocide.
"The Pope’s passing is a loss for all those who believe in justice and peace," al-Sayfi said, expressing hope that the Vatican will maintain its support for Palestinian rights.
Young participants like Jihad Manasra from Dheisheh expressed deep sorrow, recalling the Pope’s visit and his prayers for Palestinian refugees displaced from their homes.
Another child, Jude Manasra, said she was attending to remind the world of Pope Francis' plea to stop the killing of children in Gaza and to dream of a day when Gaza’s children might live in peace.
A Nation in Mourning: Flags Lowered Across Palestine
Across Palestine, flags were lowered to half-mast as an official mourning period was declared, with authorities recognising the Pope’s powerful advocacy for their cause on the global stage.
Bethlehem Governor Muhammad Taha Abu Alia said the entire country mourned the Pope’s passing.
"Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, sends a special message today," Abu Alia said.
“Pope Francis saw with his own eyes the injustice faced by our people. He prayed for the dismantling of the wall, stood with our refugee camps, and called for a just peace and the establishment of a Palestinian state.”
The Governor described the Pope’s death as a profound loss for those seeking justice and peace worldwide, stating that his voice reached the far corners of the Earth.
"We are saddened because we lost a man of peace, a man who stood firmly against the occupation’s acts of genocide in Gaza," Abu Alia added, highlighting the Pope's earlier visit to the Phoenix Centre.
Today, Palestinian institutions and residents gathered again at the same place to pay tribute to a global moral leader whose message of peace opposed the forces of oppression that continue to support Israel’s military, political, and economic war on the Palestinian people.
Palestinians across the homeland and refugee communities abroad prayed for the late Pope’s soul and expressed their hope that the Vatican will remain a beacon for the oppressed, standing firm in the pursuit of justice and human dignity.
