Visiting Paris, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, received the insignia of the Legion of Honor from President Emmanuel Macron on the morning of Tuesday, June 9, at the Élysée. On the social network “Only tolerance and religious diversity make possible the peace that this region of the world so badly needs,” said the Head of State.
I presented the insignia of the Legion of Honor to the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pizzaballa.
While the civilian populations and, among them, the Christians of the Holy Land, are caught in the turmoil of war, I wanted to honor with this gesture… pic.twitter.com/ZW28HXGzwp
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 9, 2026
I manage my choices I authorize
Cardinal Pizzaballa has, on several occasions since the start of the conflict in the Middle East, denounced the violence perpetrated against Christians, particularly in the West Bank. In February, in the columns of the Italian newspaper L’Avvenire, the man who had been appointed Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem in 2020 by Pope Francis deplored the “slow and progressive suppression of the rights of the Palestinians”.
Shortly after the attacks of October 7, 2023, Cardinal Pizzaballa notably offered himself in exchange for Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas and held in the Gaza Strip.
“Commitment to serving the population”
“In accordance with its historical responsibilities, France remains committed to the Christians of the Holy Land, and to all the peoples of the Near and Middle East,” Emmanuel Macron further underlined. In this regard, I reiterated to Cardinal Pizzaballa our unwavering commitment to respecting the status quo in the holy places of Jerusalem. »
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa is currently visiting France until June 14, at the invitation of the Œuvre d’Orient and the rector of the sanctuary of Paray-le-Monial, Father Etienne Kern. In another message published on X, the Work of the Orient “rejoiced” at the distinction conferred on the patriarch. “This distinction salutes his commitment to serving the populations of the Holy Land and dialogue between peoples,” declared the institution.
