CHRISTIANS IN THE HOLY LAND

by Michel Sabbah, Patriarch

Linz, September 29, 2006

Who are we today?

1. We are 13 traditional Churches in the Holy Land:

Fve Orthodox (Greek, Armenian, Copt, Syrian and Ethiopian), six Catholic (R.C. Latin, Greek Catholic, Maronite, Armenian, Syrian, and Chaldean), and two Protestant (Anglican and Lutheran). As Churches, we all have ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the same three countries: Israel, Palestine and Jordan. Moreover, the Latin Patriarchate has jurisdiction over Cyprus.

In the three countries, Israel, Palestine and Jordan, the total number of Christians is about 400,000, half of whom live in Jordan, the other half in Palestine-Israel. Catholics, including R.C. Latins, Greek Catholics, and members of the other Eastern Catholic Churches, number about 170,000.

All these Christians are Arabs, Palestinians or Jordanians. They belong to the Arab culture and history.

Palestinian and Jordanian Christians in Palestine, Jordan and in the diaspora number some 600,000, or 12 % of the total Palestinian and Jordanian population in Palestine, Jordan and in the world.

2. Besides this basic traditional Arab Christian presence in the Holy Land (Israel, Palestine, and Jordan), there is a Hebrew-speaking presence:

Christian Hebrew-speaking communities, both Catholic and Protestant. To that must be added a large Russian presence which came with the successive waves of Jewish immigration to Israel.
According to the various estimates given by Israeli sources, non-Jewish Russians in Israel could be four or five hundred thousand. Non-Jewish means that they are either Christians or they have Christian roots. Varied, but limited, pastoral work is carried out among this population by monasteries in Israel (Trappists, Benedictines, Salesians, Little Brothers and Sisters of Bethlehem of St Bruno), or by a few priests exclusively dedicated to this pastoral service. At the same time, Jewish religious organizations are very active in “judaizing” all of these non-Jewish Russians. Additionally, there is a third presence, this one international, made up of workers and business people. It is approximately as large as the indigenous Christian presence, particularly in Israel and Jordan.

I will limit my talk to Arab Christians, Palestinians and Jordanians, in the three countries, Israel, Palestine and Jordan.

3.  The reality in which we are living presently has the following characteristics:

First characteristic, we are an integral part of the Arab world, even though some of us are not Arabs, for example the Armenians who have lived for such a long time in the Arab world that they speak Arabic as well as Armenian, their mother tongue.  Also, they have remained loyal not only to the Armenians, as an ethnic and Christian group, but also to the Arab country in which they live.

Keeping these nuances in mind, it is important to note this basic characteristic of Eastern Christians: we belong to the Arab world and hence to the Arab and the Muslim world. We are a part of it, and we are sent to it by God. As Arab Christians in the Holy Land, we are called to be witnesses to Jesus in His land, in our Arab Muslim society as well as in the Israeli Jewish society. In order to do that, we must dialogue with both Muslims and Jews. In the last few years, a Council of Religious Leaders in the Holy Land, comprising Christians, Jews and Muslims, was created. It is still functioning, though very hesitatingly.  Nevertheless, it is an effort that will continue because all three religions are in need of it.

4. Second characteristic, Christians of the Holy Land, we live in a situation of conflict:

the Israeli Palestinian conflict. It consists of a military occupation imposed by the Israelis on the Palestinians, and of the Palestinian resistance to this occupation in various ways, violent and non-violent. This conflict has an impact on the entire region, as well as on all Christians in the region.

The conflict is not religious. It is a political and economic conflict between two peoples, but one in which religious feelings are nevertheless very present. Religion is even used by some either to justify political positions or to give more impetus to the struggle. Jerusalem is at the heart of this conflict because it is a Holy City for Jews, Christians and Muslims and a national symbol for both Israelis and Palestinians.

Within this conflict, we Christians are at the same time Palestinians and Christians. As Palestinians and Christians, we say three things, which are complementary.  First, occupation is an injustice that must stop. Occupation must be rejected. We must share in all the sacrifices necessary to regain our freedom and bring the occupation to an end. Resistance to occupation is a duty and a right. Second, resistance can be violent or non-violent. We, as Christians, call for non-violent resistance. Third, our position is based on the following fundamentally Christian and human principles: all human beings are equal in dignity before God. They all have the same rights and the same duties. No one, for religious or political reasons, should be subjugated by the other. Everyone has the right to live in security and to choose their own type of independent government, Israelis and Palestinians alike. Therefore, in this conflict, we call for an end to the Occupation, declaring that we care for the well-being and for the security and peace of both peoples, Israelis and Palestinians.

5. The situation today:

During July and part of August this year 2006, there was the war in Lebanon. Also, for months, violent Israeli military action continues in Gaza, as a reprisal for the taking of an Israeli soldier as prisoner. In all Palestinian towns and villages, since the year 2000 and until today, daily Israeli incursions demolish Palestinian houses, take Palestinian prisoners, and kill others. At the same time, there are violent reactions by Palestinian militias.

The official Palestinian Authority is insisting on holding peace talks. The Israelis are taking their time; they prefer to go on with their reprisals in the Palestinian Territories until all manifestations of violence stop. They do not seem to be in a hurry to have peace talks or peace.

The social aspect of this situation: the “wall” surrounding the Palestinian towns has transformed these towns into big ghettoes or prisons. The “wall” and the Israeli military checkpoints make social, economic, and human Palestinian life day after day more and more difficult.

There are many voices and movements in Israel calling for the cessation of all violence and for the resumption of peace talks, but they are not numerous enough to impose a new direction on the conflict. The louder voices remain the ones that prefer to go on with the reprisals and with the direct violent repression of Palestinians.

What is the Israeli agenda in this conflict? It is hard to know. What is declared is the need for security. But all military actions taken so far have led to more insecurity. What is the agenda of the international community? It is less clear. From what we have lived and seen until now, we can say that we have had many declarations, analyses, talks and partial agreements in Madrid, Oslo, Camp David… With all of that, we are at the same point: we continue to live in conflict, under occupation, and in human conditions that are worsening day after day with ongoing violence, demolitions, deaths, hatred, and insecurity, all of which create a harsh economic and social life.

What should be done? To engage firmly and decidedly in peace talks in order to resolve the core problem, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This alone will produce security and give birth to a new phase and to a new life in the relations between the two peoples. Moreover, it will give peace to the region and to the world.

6. Our Christian life:

The Latin Patriarchate has 63 parishes throughout the entire diocese. The Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land serves 10 of them, the Carmelites one. 90 diocesan priests are working in the 52 remaining parishes and in the various activities of the Patriarchate. The clergy is rather young. We also have a flourishing seminary which produces an average of 2-3 new priests every year.

        In every parish, the Latin Patriarchate has a school in which many goals are sought: human and religious education, ecumenical and interfaith contacts with the parents of the students, priestly vocations for the diocesan clergy and for some religious congregations. Schools have a primordial importance in our pastoral work. Therefore, among our financial needs, this field is one of our priorities.

7. Our future as Christians in the Holy Land:

Many studies done by westerners are pessimistic about our future. They see us disappearing in few generations. Appearances support this pessimistic view. It seems as though the Christian presence is in the last stage of its struggle for survival within the Muslim Arab world: it seems to be in the stage of its final disappearance.

Emigration began during the last century. Today, Arab Palestinian Christians in Latin America, who emigrated there in the 19th century, are far more numerous than they are in their original homeland. The same is true of Arab Palestinian Christians in North America, the United States and Canada. The same reasons that led to their emigration at that time are still present today, though in a different way: economic and social difficulties compound the current political instability.

Some American observers and congressmen insist on a “presumed” Muslim persecution of Christians as the main cause of the emigration. It is true that difficulties exist in our Palestinian society, but the main reason is that the Occupation prevents the creation of a strong public authority. By way of comparison, in Jordan where there is a strong government, the same incidents do not occur.

Moreover, the lack of even-handedness in relations between peoples on the international level, inequality in the distribution of wealth, and international wars and interventions in other peoples’ affairs, in which the Muslim world feels that it is oppressed by the Western (= Christian) world, have all given birth to various Muslim resistance movements, extremists and moderates alike, that have a direct effect on relations between Muslims and Christians.

Conclusion, our future?

We will live, grow and develop as best we can. Some of us will leave. But those who remain will live and grow. As Church, we insist on our work in the schools and on an authentic catechetical education, based on faith, and nourished by a deep spiritual life in which Christians find the strength they need to share in all aspects of their society.

The existing school system is quantitatively adequate, but it needs to be improved from the catechetical point-of-view. It needs various technical improvements on the scientific level, although in the three countries in which we are present, it is proved that the scientific performance of our schools is among the best. What is seriously needed is the renewal of our catechetical education which should stress even more the direct active correlation between personal piety and true love that contributes to the building of society in all its forms and at all times, regardless of whether there is conflict or peace, death, prison, demolitions, refusal or resistance, or various disturbances that are part of life in a political and military conflict.

We need to prepare qualified Christians who can respond to the basic needs of their society: in dialogue with other religions, in resolving conflicts, in the media, in the economic world, and in some of the essential new sciences that are needed to build any modern society.

With this, we continue our work, our reflection, and our prayer in order to be faithful to our call to accompany Christians in the Holy Land, and to accompany with our Christian love every human being in that Land.

We know, you know that, as members of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher, you are our partners in this vocation and in this obligation to educate the Christians in the Holy Land and to give a new face to the land of the Lord, so that it can truly become for the world and for itself an authentic land of reconciliation, peace and justice.

CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS RELEASE STATEMENT ON THE STATUS OF JERUSALEM

9 October 2006

The heads of local Christian Churches point out that unilateral actions used so far have brought neither peace to the holy city nor a normal life to its residents. They call for a committee to look into the city’s future status, which must be guaranteed by the international community.

Political leaders must grant Jerusalem a distinct status guaranteed by the international community that would uphold the rights of the “two peoples in her and the three faith communities” if we want make the city to “a true sign of the presence of God and of His peace among all.” This, in a nutshell, is the thrust of an appeal made and signed by 13 heads and patriarchs of the Christian communities in the Holt Land.

In their September 29 statement the religious leaders note that in light of recent violent events in the region peace requires shared decisions by the two peoples—Israelis and Palestinians—that respect the rights of believers of all faiths. And any agreement would have to include a ‘special status’ for the Holy City.

Titled “The Status of Jerusalem”, the press release demands the city enjoy a special status, which would include:

 

The religious leaders’ decision to speak out stems from the increasing tendency of the political authorities to unilaterally decide the city’s fate and status. “The access of our faithful and our personnel to Jerusalem is ever-more difficult.”

“With the construction of the wall [. . .] and according to plans published in the local press” many faithful will de facto be excluded. Hence they urge local authorities, the international community and the world’s Churches to make “a concerted effort to search for a common vision on the status of this holy city based on international resolutions and having regard to the rights of two peoples in her and the three faith communities.”

Unilateralism has so far “not brought about the pacification of the city and have not reassured normal life for her inhabitants,” the patriarchs and religious leaders said.

A just and durable solution for the Jerusalem question requires that the “future of the city must be decided by common agreement, through collaboration and consultation and not imposed by power and force. Unilateral decisions or imposed solutions will continue to be very detrimental to peace and security.”

“Different solutions are possible. The city of Jerusalem might remain united but sovereignty in this case must be shared, exercised according to a principle of equality by both Israelis and Palestinians. However, the city might also be divided if this be the desire of the two peoples who live here, with two distinct sovereignties, the aim of which would be to reach a true unity of hearts in the two parts of the city.”

Never the less, “[f]ace to face with the inability of the parties involved to find a just and durable solution up until the present time, the assistance of the international community is a necessity. In the future too, this aid needs to continue in the form of guarantees that will ensure the stability of the agreements reached by the two sides.”

Hence “[w]e recommend to create as soon as possible, an ad hoc committee to reflect on the future of the city. In this committee the local Churches of Jerusalem must be a part.

AsiaNews

LATIN PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM: PRAY AND FAST FOR PEACE

3 August 2006

Mgr Michael Sabbah has launched an appeal against violence in Gaza and South Lebanon. And he has called on Israel to restore “freedom and independence” to the Palestinians as a condition for peace.

In a message issued today, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Michael Sabbah, condemned the capture of Israeli soldiers in Gaza and in southern Lebanon, but “at the same time condemned” the capture of Palestinians by Israel: “For years, 10,000 Palestinian prisoners have been in Israeli prisons. These too have parents and beloved ones waiting for their return. Indeed every human person has an equal human dignity, whether Palestinian or Israeli.”

The publication of his message coincides with the start of the traditional period of prayer and fasting for the east of the Assumption of Mary. The patriarch said: “This year, we will fast and pray for peace, for the end of hostilities in Gaza and South Lebanon. We pray for all the parties involved, Palestinians, Israelis and Lebanese. To all of them we wish peace and security.”

After describing what is going on in Gaza and southern Lebanon as “simply inhuman”, Mgr Sabbah criticized the tardiness of the international community which instead “should interfere with greater efficiency in order to put an end” to the violence, a real “vicious cycle of death” that must be broken by the strongest. The patriarch seemingly condemns the violence of the Palestinian and Lebanese militia (and suicide bombers) as well as that erpetrated by the Israeli army: “Experience in this conflict has proved that violence has only generated and even increased violence, did not give the required security and it is useless to found a new order.”

Part of his appeal is addressed more directly to the Israelis: “Military power alone cannot protect. Military reprisals only increase the refusal that encircles Israel in the region. Indeed the result is the deepening of hatred and refusal.”

The patriarch continued: “The only action to use for legitimate defense, that can really protect and will have as result the required security, consists simply in putting an end to the initial injustice which is the heart of this ong conflict, that is, the Palestinian question. It consists in putting an end to the Israeli military occupation imposed for years upon the Palestinians, and giving them back their freedom and their independence.”

 

 

JERUSALEM IS THE KEY TO SOLVING MIDEAST PROBLEMS

PATRIARCH SABBAH, 23 May 2006

Christians in the Middle East “should not just complain and hold back because they are persecuted. Instead, they should insist on their right to exist and develop” as a religious and cultural group. Patriarch also stresses the importance of the Lebanese model

Jerusalem is the key to solving Mideast problems and should “be open to all and ruled by its people”, said Michel Sabbah, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. Speaking to AsiaNews, he also criticised the international community for siding with the strong, i.e. Muslims, and urged Christians to realise that they are bearers of “a civilisation and faith”. He also announced plans for a Higher Christian-Muslim-Jewish Council that would coordinate the life of the faithful in the holy city and stressed the importance of the “Lebanese Model”, which has “never been so threatened as today”.

When addressing the issue of religious freedom in the region, the patriarch said that Lebanon was the “only Arab country in which the Church can exercise influence thanks to Christian thinkers who can transmit Christian ideas.” He called on its Christian communities to “forgive and accept others. Because we are all Christians in an Arab society, we must build a tolerant society that is reconciled with and open to others”.

Instead of tears and complaints, Christians should invest themselves and train in order to strengthen their role and place in the region. Eastern Christians are duty-bound “to realise that numbers is the only factor that will ensure their presence in the Middle East”.

Christians are fully entitled to feel they belong to their lands of origin and “should not just complain and hold back because they are persecuted. Instead, they should insist on their right to exist”. Nor should Muslims forget their role vis-à-vis the Christian minority in the region.

For its part, the international community sides with the strong and today it is Muslims who are strongest so much so that it seems willing to solve regional conflicts at the expense of Christians.

In response to a question on the future of the Middle East, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem said the city of Jerusalem was the key to solving the region’s problems. For him, the holy city should “be open to all and ruled by its people”.

The patriarch also announced plans for a Higher Christian-Muslim-Jewish Council that would coordinate the life of the faithful in the holy city, highlighting the fear that reigns in the Palestinian territories where “there is hatred for Christians amongst Muslims and where Christians fear Muslims”.

Finally, confident that the issue will be soon solved, Patriarch Sabbah renewed his appeal to the Israeli government to recognise the new Greek-Orthodox Patriarch, Theophilus III.

AsiaNews

MGR SABBAH CALLS ON ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS TO STOP HATRED

12 April 2006

In his Easter message released today Mgr Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, made a strong appeal to Jews and Palestinians, in particular to their leaders, to stop hating and believe in the power of love. Released today, the message says:

“You, who are killing, stop killing. You, who hate, stop hating. You, who occupy the land, give it back to its owners. Love and trust are more efficacious in reacquiring your lost freedom, your lost security, and your desired independence. Certainly, this language sounds strange to all those who hold power in their hands. Nevertheless, we also say to the governments: You, governments, who do not believe in this language, you also are capable of loving, of living, and of transforming in terms of life and peace the relations between the two peoples in this holy land. »

Patriarch Sabbah goes on to say that with Easter, “Jesus made each of us a new creature and a New Man ‘in righteousness, holiness and truth’ (Eph, 4: 23-24). He filled us with His Spirit, and ‘the fruit of the Spirit,’ says Saint Paul, ‘is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, and self-control’ (Gal, 5: 22-23).”

But in “our daily life, we sometimes have the impression that the life of the Spirit, which produces charity, joy and peace, is an impossible dream, especially in our Holy Land which for many years has been witnessing hate, mutual rejection, and death. And, the actions of its leaders and the life of individuals and groups simply proceed according to this logic. Kill in order to live. Kill because we are being killed. Hate because we are afraid or because we are oppressed. These are the criteria according to which we are governed and we live in a holy land, in a land of the Resurrection, in a land in which God has spoken, and in which the three religions claim that they believe in God and listen to His word.”

The message insists that although this is the reality in which Israelis and Palestinians live, the “land in which God has spoken” can “remain the land of the Word of God, and not become just the land of the word of human beings where God’s Word is replaced by attitudes of death and hate.  We must believe in our capacity to love, all of us, Israelis and Palestinians. We are capable of loving and of making justice for ourselves and for others. We need a new beginning based on new principles and a new perspective on life in this Holy Land.  We are capable of freeing ourselves from the death that has been imposed on us until now. We, Israelis and Palestinians, are capable of freeing ourselves from the fear that comes from violence and terrorism, from the occupation imposed by the law of the strongest, and by the logic of death and hate.”

“To all the inhabitants of this Holy Land, Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Druzes, we wish you an abundance of the Lord’s blessings. To the Jews, who are celebrating Passover in these days, we express the hope that the feast will be a source of blessing, love and justice for you and for all the inhabitants of the Holy Land.”

AsiaNews

 

MOST PALESTINIANS WANT PEACE WITH ISRAEL, SURVEY SAYS

28 February 2006

A majority of the Palestinian population wants the resumption of negotiations with Israel and is ready to recognise the Jewish state. People expect Hamas to improve the economic situation and achieve greater security and order. They also approve of the demonstrations that took place over the Muhammad caricatures in front of the European Union bureaus in Gaza and the United Nations bureaus in Hebron.

These, at least, are some of the results of a survey published today and sent to AsiaNews by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion (PCPO), an independent polling firm founded in 1994 to gauge Palestinian public opinion and directed by Nabil Kukali, a Christian, who teaches at Hebron University on the West Bank.

The survey indicates that 50.8 per cent of Palestinians agree to the recognition of the State of Israel, 69.8 per cent are in favour of the resumption of the negotiations with Israel, 62.2 per cent want rocket attacks against Israeli territory to stop, and 80.4 per cent want the truce to continue.

The study also shows that the population has high expectations vis-à-vis the incoming Hamas administration. Thus, 93.8 per cent demand Hamas improve economic conditions and reduce the unemployment rate; 90.1 per cent want it to fight corruption, 84.4 per cent to put an end to lawlessness and enforce security and safety; and 88.1 per cent to enforce the sovereignty [sic] of law everywhere”.

Most Palestinians still have a positive outlook on the future: 54.9 per cent expect the situation to improve, 30. 7 per cent think it will stay the same and only 11.8 per cent think it will get worse.

In terms of domestic politics, 51.5 are in favour of Fateh's participation in a government of a national unity, 69.6 per cent support to various degrees Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, 51.3 per cent would be favourable to increasing his constitutional powers.

As for the future Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyah tops the list of candidates with 41.5 per cent of support far ahead of his immediate rival who stands at 12.1 per cent.

By a proportion of almost two to one, most Palestinians expressed their approval of the attack against the Gaza bureaus of the European Union to protest the publication of the Muhammad caricatures: 62.7 per cent for versus 35.3 per cent against. Almost four in five (76.9 per cent) said they were in favour of the protest in front of the UN Temporary International Presence in Hebron.

Mr Kukali said that the survey was conducted between February 16 and 20 and was based on a representative sample of 1,003 people—34.6 per cent from the Gaza Strip and 65.4 per cent from the West Bank (East Jerusalem included); 49.3% per cent women and 50.7 per cent men; 51.1 per cent from cities, 33.4 per cent from villages and 15.5 per cent from refugee camps.

 

AsiaNews

 

NO DISTINCTION IS POSSIBLE BETWEEN HAMAS AND THE PALESTINIANS, SAYS THE CUSTODIAN OF THE HOLY LAND

21 February 2006

Israel’s argument that its actions will only affect Hamas and not Palestinians flies in face of reality. Palestinians have no illusions; whatever Israel does the entire Palestinian population will directly suffer its consequences, this according to the Custodian of the Holy Land, Franciscan Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who spoke about Israel’s decision to withhold tax and customs payments to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).

In an interview with AsiaNews, the Franciscan priest spoke about the repercussions of Israel’s policies on an already disillusioned Palestinian population. The March 28 elections in Israel will be crucial. Only then will it be possible to form a more realistic appraisal of things to come.

In the meantime, Father Pizzaballa is certain of one thing: “Israel’s action will cause real problems and create real difficulties to the population despite claims by Israeli authorities that they are going to make a distinction between Hamas and Palestinians”.

“The Israeli government has already announced tighter checks at crossings between Israel and the Palestinian territories. This will penalise Palestinian workers employed in Israel.”

Its financial restrictions are going to be tough on “what is left of the Palestinian administration, which won’t be able to pay its operational costs and public servant’s salaries. Making a distinction between Hamas and the population will be very hard to make.”

This morning the Custodian had an unofficial meeting with the Israeli defence minister on the subject of free movement of pilgrims, access to the holy sites and the wall in the Holy Land. “The Israeli say they understand the Palestinians’ predicament and are open to talk but not with Hamas. The situation is still quite uncertain.”

According to the Custodian, “these measures are largely a function of internal politics”, i.e. the upcoming March 28 elections, “which are an important moment to see in what directions relations between the two parties might go.”

Always hopeful, Father Pizzaballa warns though that “neither side is willing to talk. Should this continue, things are bound to get worse”. That's why the Franciscan is convinced that “sooner or later a deal has to be reached, but it is doubtful we’ll see any improvement before March 28. Both Israelis and Palestinians are profoundly disillusioned,” Father Pizzaballa said. “People have adopted a wait-and-see attitude.”

In Bethlehem some people seem even more pessimistic. They tell AsiaNews that “danger is in the air and everyone is predicting hard times ahead.”

A Palestinian who preferred not to reveal his identity said that people are “very anxious”. “We are afraid that Israel will become even more inflexible not only about the economy but also about the crossings. We can expect times to get tough and unemployment to get worse.”

The same source said he was baffled by recent statements by Hamas’ Prime Minister designate, Ismail Haniyeh, who said there were “many alternatives to Israel”, by which he meant aid promised by the Arab League and Muslim countries.

“We are just too sceptical about such promises. Keeping these promises is in itself a challenge, but there is also the question of how to get the money here. Israel controls everything and can stop money from coming in.”

For its part, the Arab League announced that it cannot provide financial aid to the PNA because it “lacks adequate funds.” Many member states have in fact failed to send the money the PNA needs to replace the US$ 50 million Israel froze.

AsiaNews

HOSPITAL IN NAZARETH: A BASTION OF HEALING AND HOPE

FACILITY BRINGS TOGETHER A RANGE OF FAITHS

15 januari 2006

Friar Serafino Acernozzi thinks that the Holy Family Hospital in Nazareth is doing more than just heal bodies.

"We are a living proof that coexistence is possible," said the prior of the hospital, a facility run by the Brothers of St. John of God and by the nuns of the Child Mary congregation.

"No one tends to love or hate genetically. Man fears only what he doesn't know," Friar Acernozzi affirmed.

"We think that our hospital, in its daily service, plays a small but significant role in the peace process because we are educating our workers and patients to live and work together. We are certain this is possible," he told recent visitors to the hospital.

Friar Acernozzi explained the history and service that this humanitarian endeavor carries out.

The center is recognized as a private, non-profit entity; it was founded by the Brothers of Saint John of God in 1882. It is known popularly as the "Italian hospital," much loved by the population in Galilee.

The hospital's staffers and workers come from a range of backgrounds. On a daily basis, Jews, Arabs, Muslims and Christians of all denominations take care of one another in the hospital.

In 2000, when the hospital's executives were planning to enlarge the facility, the intifada came and put a halt to expansion plans -- for a while. Then, a new managing director arrived and breathed life into the center.

The vigor led to the opening of a new maternity ward in 2005. Groups of friends and Italian associations contributed to the project.

Aristide Colombo, an Italian volunteer, came up with a crucial idea to make the maternity ward a reality.

When the Italian province of Lecco decided to dismantle a 500-bed hospital which was closed down, Colombo's group Metals for Solidarity asked that all the reusable material be made available for other needy centers, including the Holy Family Hospital of Nazareth. Thus, refurnished beds, flowered curtain and operating-room equipment all made their way to the new maternity ward.Staffers at the ward include women religious from Italy and India, as well as Christian and Muslim nurses who lovingly hover over newborns in their cribs. Some 1,500 children a year are born in the hospital.

On a typical day a Muslim anesthesiologist, a Jewish surgeon and a Catholic nun work in the operating room. Some 50,000 patients a year are received in emergencies, hospitalized or attended to in outpatient clinics.

Overseeing the operations is the hospital's general manager, Giuseppe Fraizzoli. He used to work for International Business Machines in the United States.

One day in 2001, a colleague called Fraizzoli: "They are looking for a director willing to go to the front line where shots are fired, do you understand? It is for the hospital of the Brothers of St. John of God of Nazareth. Are you interested?"

Fraizzoli told his bosses at IBM that he wanted to take the new job. He bought a one-way ticket to Israel and was just about to board the plane on Sept. 11, 2001, when he saw New York's twin towers destroyed.

He had to wait a few days for the airports to reopen. By then it was clearer than ever to him that he should go to Israel. When Fraizzoli arrived and visited the hospital for the first time, he realized he didn't have an office.

He found a table and a chair and began to work near the kitchen.

"For some months, I worked there without a computer, without a telephone, or fax or secretary, surrounded by the aroma of the hummus, the typical sauce based on chickpeas and oregano," Fraizzoli recalled.

The hospital is part of ARAN, the Israeli national network for emergencies, though it does not benefit from government funding.

The hospital has big plans for 2006: a new dialysis unit; a new department for neonatal therapy; and a new respiratory unit, the first of its type in the Arab sector of northern Israel.

All of this would be paid for by private donations. The associations supporting the hospital promote a range of activities: to make the hospital known, to initiate contacts with benefactors, and to find volunteers, in Italy and Israel.

Asked about what he thought of the future of the hospital, Fraizzoli answered: "As a careful economist, I have invested in the city of the three persons who have counted most in the history of humanity: Jesus, Mary and Joseph. I think it is a long-term investment. What do you think?"

Zenit.org

 

PALESTINIAN INVITES BENEDICT XVI TO HOLY LAND

4 december 2005

Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas invited Benedict XVI to visit the Holy Land, during his first audience with the Pope.

After the 20-minute private meeting Saturday, Abbas said in English that the Holy Father will "be very welcome in Jerusalem and all the holy places."

The Palestinian president, whose visit was surrounded by high security measures, told the press after the meeting that Benedict XVI "responded positively" to the invitation, but that he did not indicate a date for the visit.

Benedict XVI has also been invited to the Mideast by the president of Israel, Moshe Katsav, and by the country's prime minister, Ariel Sharon.

After the audience, Vatican spokesman Joaquín Navarro Valls published a communiqué in which he said that "in the course of the cordial conversation the situation in the Middle East was reviewed."

"In particular, emphasis was placed on the need to integrate in the peace process all the components of the Palestinian people. Also discussed were the difficulties of Catholics in Palestine, and their contribution to Palestinian society," said the statement.

Abbas also met with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Vatican secretary of state

Zenith.org

 

LATIN PATRIARCHATE M. SABBAH PRAYED FOR GOD TO RECONCILE THE HEARTS OF PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS

15 may 2005

     Latin Patriarchate Michel Sabbah prayed for God to "reconcile the hearts" of Palestinians and Israelis in his homily on Pentecost, May 15.     He noted the date marked both Israeli independence day and the day Palestinians call "Il-Nakba" -- "catastrophe" in Arabic -- which Palestinians commemorate as the day of the loss of their land

     Palestinian Christians are an integral part of those two events, he said. "The fate of all human beings concerns us, whether it be their successes or their failures, their aspirations or their sufferings," said Patriarch Sabbah in the homily, released to the press May 16. "Consequently, on this Pentecost Sunday, both events are part of our prayer

     "We ask God to fill us with his Spirit and to recreate and reconcile the hearts of Palestinians and Israelis, and particularly the hearts of their leaders, so that they might become instruments of peace and justice for all," he said.

     JERUSALEM (CNS

 

 

BETHLEEM HAS LOST 6% OF ITS CHRISTIAN POPULATION
15 december 2004

      The death of Yasser Arafat and the difficult situation Christians face-caught between Israeli repression and Islamist pressure-mean that Christmas celebrations in Christ's birthplace will be toned down, with fewer lights and decorations, according to Hanna Nasser, Bethlehem's Christian Mayor.
....................
      Mayor Nasser appealed to Christians all over the world to visit, noting that since the second intifada began in 2000, the city of Bethlehem has lost 6 percent of its Christian population. "Imagine the city of Bethlehem with no Christians," he said.

     BETHLEHEM - AsiaNews

THE STAINED GLASS WINDOW ABOVE THE MAIN ALTAAR
OF THE SAINT CATHERINE CHURCH IN BETHLEEM
RESTAURED BY BELGIUM
25 augustus 2004

     The stained glass window above the main altaar of the Saint Catherine chuch in Bethleem, representing the birth of Christ, was offered by Belgium inn 1926.  Created by a belgian artist from Ghent, it suffered many injuries in april 2002 during the military occupation of the Church.
      It has been restaured thanks to theinitiative of Doctor J. Keutgen, Director of the Holy Family Hospital in Bethleem, and Mr. Guido Courtois, Consul General of Belgium in Jerusalem..
     Details on the restauration are available in English on the following address;
http://users.pandora.be/brunomestdagh/restauratie