On Tuesday, 20 January, the Bishops of the Holy Land Co-ordination visited the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem to deepen their understanding of the challenges faced by the local church.
His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, spoke to the group and took questions before celebrating Mass in the Co-Cathedral of the Most Holy Name of Jesus.
Shortly after Mass, Patriarch Pizzaballa gave us a short update on the situation in Gaza and the West Bank before encouraging pilgrims to return to the Holy Land on pilgrimage.
Patriarch:
The Christians in Gaza, not just Latin Christians, are 541 – a small number. The situation for them is actually stable, but always very problematic from a humanitarian point of view. They all live in the church compound, the Holy Family parish, because they have lost everything. They have no house, no school, no hospital – nothing. The church is the only shelter for all of them.
Question:
And in the wider West Bank, what challenges are you facing that are different from 12 months ago?
Patriarch:
The situation is more or less the same. It remains very problematic because the clashes between the settlers and the Palestinians are everyday news, unfortunately. And confiscation of land and many other problems between Palestinians and settlers are becoming a very serious problem. Also to get permits for movement is quite problematic.
Question:
And finally, I was struck by what you said about people coming back to these lands on pilgrimage. We were in Bethlehem the day before the Holy Land Co-ordination started, and it was actually very sad to see how few people were there and how the local people needed the economy to be boosted. So what would your message be to our people back home?
Patriarch:
I say to all our people, all the Christians all over the world, come here. The pilgrimage is safe. There is no reason to be afraid. Gaza is far away, and also in Gaza now there is a ceasefire. It’s about time to come back to the Holy Land, to enjoy the pilgrimage, and also to bring hope to the many Christian families who need to see your presence here.
