Gaza church remembers Pope Francis as its 'shield'

To the world, he was Pope Francis, leader of 1.4 billion Catholics.

To the world, he was Pope Francis, leader of 1.4 billion Catholics. To parishioners at the Holy Family Church in Gaza, the late pontiff was a "shield" who fought to provide succor to their tiny community in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

“He was a real father to us,” George Antone, a parishioner in the enclave's only Catholic church, told NBC News' crew in Gaza. “Pope Francis was like a shield for the Christians in the enclave. He was the fighter, he was fighting for our rights and for our protection.”

Throughout the war, parishioners and leaders of the church said, Francis had been a significant source of strength, making near-nightly calls for the past year and a half, even as he faced his own health struggles in his final months.

Antone was among dozens who gathered in the church in Gaza City to pay their respects to Francis in an evening Mass. Around 1,300 Christians live in Gaza, according to a 2022 U.S. State Department report.