On December 6, 2025, the University of Haifa hosted a special event honoring His Eminence Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, with the HLRS Peace Award.

 

More than a hundred religious leaders, diplomats, academics, and guests gathered to celebrate the Cardinal’s steadfast commitment to compassion, moral clarity, and interreligious understanding.

 

Speakers included Prof. Uriel Simonsohn, Rector Prof. Mouna Maroun, Monsignor Nicola Di Ponzio, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Apostolic Nunciature in Israel, and the Cardinal himself, with beautiful musical interludes by the Lika ensemble.

 

It was a memorable night affirming that peace is not an illusion but a shared responsibility – one pursued through dialogue, humility, and hope.