The number of signatures and adhesions to the “Preti against genocide” international networkthe initiative that has chosen to call things with their name and openly denounce what happens to Gaza as a genocide. What was born as a letter-appeal between priests and religious in a few weeks has turned into a global movement capable of mobilizing over a thousand priests from more than twenty countries, with the participation of bishops, cardinals, missionaries and dozens of religious communities.
Not an official act, but A gesture born from the bottomwhich claims the freedom and responsibility of the priests to speak on behalf of the Gospel, because – as they wrote – “we cannot remain silent in front of the cancellation of a people”. The network immediately was given a precise objective: not only the condemnation of the massacres but also a reference to the universal Church, to governments, to international institutions, so that one no longer hides behind prudent formulas and declarations of circumstance. The use of the word genocide, consciously chosen, has aroused debates and controversy, but for the promoters there are no more alternatives: “In Gaza – they say – We are witnessing a project of systematic destruction. It is not defense, it is not retaliation: it is annihilation».
The event convened in Rome with a vigil of prayer and testimony in front of Montecitorio has made visible a ferment that so far moved above all through letters and social networks. Italian and foreign priests, religious, lay people such as Pax Christi and historical missionaries such as Father Alex Zanotelli met to pray but also to report, bringing signs, banners, hard words. “We want to give voice to those who have no voice!, Said one of the promoters, remembering that in Gaza”There are two million people trapped, without escape routes, subject to continuous bombings, hunger and thirst used as war weapons». The climate that was breathed was that of great prophetic mobilizations, not of a political protest but of a gesture of consciousness. The same Monsignor Giovanni Ricchiuti, president of Pax Christi and Bishop emeritus of Altamura, already in an interview with Christian family He had chosen the most clear word: «Silence on Gaza is complicity. It is not an exaggerated word genocideit is the reality we have in front of the eyes: reduced buildings powder, children extracted from the rubble, bombing hospitals, interminable files for a piece of bread or for a little water. We cannot be silent ».
The initiative immediately met unexpected obstacles. In recent days Google blocked the e -mail account with which the network collected the adhesions, effectively preventing the signing of the appeal and the communication between the members. The company spoke of “violation of the terms of service” and then a misunderstanding linked to automatic procedures, but for the promoters it was a serious episode that risked compromising the mobilization. Just while the signatures continued to grow, over a thousand in less than a month, with the adhesion of cardinals and periphery parish priests, the network had to deal with the vulnerability of the digital platforms, which in a moment can block the circulation of an uncomfortable initiative.
The weight of linguistic choice remains the central node. Not everyone, even within the Church, share the use of the word genocide, which brings with them legal and political implications. The Holy See keeps prudence and so far has not made this definition its own. But this explains why the promoters wanted to take responsibility for speaking. “Many – says Ricchiuti – They argue that Israel is only defending themselves and responding to October 7th. But the story does not start there. He begins decades earlier, with confiscated lands, checkpoints, daily discrimination. What we see is not defense, it is annihilation. Faced with a people who are canceled, we cannot limit ourselves to half words ». Other bishops, such as Domenico Mogavero, emeritus of Mazara del Vallo, also joined. The debate has now opened.
The strength of “priests against genocide” is not only in numbers, but in the ecclesial and prophetic meaning that the initiative has taken on. It is the voice of shepherds who guide local communities, country parish priests who accompany the life of the faithful every day, missionaries who have lived firsthand the conflicts in Africa, Asia and Latin America. These are not isolated intellectuals but a widespread body of priests who, from the outskirts, launch a message to the center: it is no longer possible to remain neutral. “It is not against someone, he is in favor of life, he synthesized Father Zanotelli. For this, alongside the complaint, the appeal also contains concrete requests: compliance with international lawthe application of UN resolutions, the suspension of weapons supplies to those who commit crimes against civilians. A position that calls the Western governments directly into question and also Italy, which has long been linked by military relationships with Israel.
If he manages to really affect the choices of the institutions, it is difficult to say. But certainly “priests against genocide” has already marked a point of no return: it has shown that in the Church there is a base ready to speak without fear, capable of mobilizing internationally and using the same categories that the international courts discuss. He broke the veil of silence and caution, denounced that generic prayers or condolences of circumstance are no longer enough. The echo of their words also resonates in the communities, among the faithful who listen to the parish priests on Sunday, among the young people who wonder how it is possible to remain indifferent in front of thousands of children killed. For many believers and non -believers it is already a prophetic sign, which questions collective consciousness and recalls that the Gospel does not always coincide with diplomacy.
After all, the message is simple and radical: in the face of the systematic destruction of a people, silent is equivalent to taking sides with the executioners. This is what priests against genocide want to shout to the world, with their signatures, with waking, with the principals, with the courage to use clear words. Because as Monsignor Ricchiuti repeats, “silence on Gaza is complicity”.
