The destruction of the Churches of St. Porphyrius and Notre Dame

How two houses of God are treated depends on their location

This is a post by one of the wonderful volunteers with the Elham Fund. She has asked to remain anonymous out of concerns for her work. We are grateful for all she does to help the people of Gaza.

I have always been proud to call myself a Palestinian Christian, knowing that my grandparents were born in the very land where Jesus Christ walked, where He delivered His sermons, and where He shared His blessed teachings. These are the lands of His Birth and Resurrection. I have long dreamed of making a pilgrimage to the holy sites—Nazareth, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and every place He visited—yet the world seems to have forgotten these sacred grounds. Even more tragically, it has turned its back on the descendants of His first followers.

Over the last 500 days, what has been framed as a religious conflict between Judaism and Islam has obscured the horrifying suffering of Palestinian Christians. The global Christian community, largely unaware or indifferent, has ignored the ongoing carnage faced by Christians in Palestine.

In stark contrast, consider the coverage of the 2019 fire at Notre Dame.

Google’s AI search results reveal that this event was so thoroughly covered that it saw as many as 11 segments per network on some days. But when I searched for coverage of the bombing of the Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza, there was no immediate, comprehensive response. In fact, one of the top search results was an article from AP Fact Check casting doubt on the airstrike itself.

Yet, as this article admits, on October 19, 2023, an airstrike destroyed part of the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius, one of the world’s oldest churches, located in Gaza.

The Church of Saint Porphyrius is a Greek Orthodox church in Gaza City, built on the site as early as AD 425. It was converted into a mosque in the 7th century, and the current church was built by the Crusaders in the 1150s or 1160s. They dedicated it to St. Porphyrius, the 5th-century bishop of Gaza, whose tomb is situated in the northeastern corner of the church. It belongs to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and is the oldest active church in the city, located in the Zaytun Quarter of the Old City of Gaza.

It wasn’t just Christians who perished in this attack. The Church of Saint Porphyrius has long been a refuge for all people, regardless of their faith. Muslim refugees, seeking shelter from the violence that has plagued Gaza, had found safety within its walls. Many of them also lost their lives in this bombing—victims of the same brutal assault that destroyed our heritage and claimed the lives of our loved ones. This tragic loss highlights the broader impact on the entire community, as the church had been a sanctuary for both Christians and Muslims alike.

What is often overlooked is the unique harmony that exists between the Christian and Muslim communities in Gaza. The Church of Saint Porphyrius and the Al-Omari Mosque sit side by side, separated only by a few steps. This physical proximity is a powerful symbol of the peaceful coexistence that has defined Gaza for generations, where Christians and Muslims have shared the same streets, the same history, and even the same family ties. The airstrike that destroyed the church was not just an attack on a building; it was an assault on a community that has long thrived in religious unity despite the violence and political tensions around them.

The attack took the lives of at least 18 Palestinians, many from my own family—the Tarazi family of Gaza. Among the victims were Marwan Tarazi, the custodian of a century-old photography archive and the keeper of our family tree; Dr. Haytham Tarazi, a brilliant pharmacist; Dr. Suliman Jameel Tarazi, a beloved physician; Farji Tarazi, Eva Salim Tarazi, Elain Tarzi, Viola Al-Souri, and her children—Abdelnour, Lisa, Tarek, and baby Aliya Al-Souri; Soheil Al-Souri, Julie Al-Souri, Majd Al-Souri; and Yara Al-Amash, along with her children, Juliette and George.

There are only about 1,000 Palestinian Christians left in Gaza today, and this loss has been devastating to our community. The destruction of Saint Porphyrius is not just an attack on a building; it is an assault on our spiritual and cultural heritage, one that threatens the very existence of Palestinian Christians in the Holy Land. The global response has been disappointingly weak. The World Council of Churches did speak out, but where is the outcry from Christians worldwide?

If this church had been anywhere else in the world—anywhere with a larger Christian population—the world would have been in an uproar. The silence is deafening, and the need for action is urgent. As followers of Christ, we must stand with the oppressed and defend the sanctuaries of faith. We must demand that places of worship, particularly those belonging to vulnerable minorities, are protected, and that our Christian brothers and sisters in Gaza are not forgotten. Following the fire at Note Dame Cathedral, nearly 1 billion USD was pledged in donations by French and global donors to help with restoration. How much will the third oldest church be able to get from global donations for restoration and reconstruction?

The destruction of Saint Porphyrius is a call to action. It is a reminder of the need for solidarity, compassion, and justice. It is time for the global Christian community to speak up, to stand with the Palestinian Christian community, and to demand that their churches, their lives, and their heritage are preserved.

This is not just a Palestinian issue or a Middle Eastern issue; it is a Christian issue. It is time for us to rise in defense of our fellow believers and to ensure that their faith, history, and very lives are protected in the land where our Savior once walked.

Sincerely,