Video released by Vatican News via Youtube on January 22 showed Pope Francis on a video call with the Holy Family Catholic Parish in Gaza.
Pope Francis, beloved ‘Lolo Kiko’ to Filipinos, has passed away: Vatican
Pope Francis is seen talking to the parish priest, Father Gabriele Romanelli and his assistance Father Youssef Asaad.
According to Vatican News, the Pope made this call "every evening since October 9, two days after the bombing began in the Gaza strip".
Members of Gaza's tiny Christian community said they were "heartbroken" on Monday (April 21) at the death of Pope Francis, who campaigned for peace for the devastated enclave and spoke to them on the phone every evening throughout the war.
Francis phoned a final time on Saturday (April 19) night, the pastor of the Holy Family parish, Rev. Gabriel Romanelli, told the Vatican News Service.
"He said he was praying for us, he blessed us, and he thanked us for our prayers," Romanelli said.
The next day, in his last public statement on Easter, Francis appealed for peace in Gaza, telling the warring parties to "call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace".
(Production: Monica Naime, Jose Pablo Diaz, Dina Selim)