News Page 43

A fresh, moving tale which tells the story of the difficulties, as well as the joy, experienced over three weeks spent in the care home for the elderly in Bethlehem. This is what Nicoletta, a volunteer for ATS pro Terra Sancta, had to say at the end of her time there: “I’m not going to […]

In the Palestinian Territories, where the proportion of people with disabilities is very high (according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and Ministry of Social Affairs in 2011 there were approximately 170,000 handicapped people), disability is frequently seen as a taboo, as something to be ashamed of: this is due in large part to […]

A bright light will shine to all parts of the earth; many nations shall come to you from afar, And the inhabitants of all the limits of the earth, drawn to you by the name of the Lord God, Bearing in their hands their gifts for the King of heaven. (Tob 13:11). As Pope Francis […]

More than one hundred senior citizens attended the Christmas party at the Antonian Charitable Society of Bethlehem. They had a splendid day, with singing, dancing, a first-class meal and the traditional Christmas bingo. Also present were the new Bethlehem parish priest, Nerwan Al Banna, the Gianelline Sisters and the nurses who each day take care […]

On the occasion of the inauguration this past February of the new site of the General Library, the Custos of the Holy Land declared that: “An integral part of our mission is promoting the dignity of man, of each and every person. This means not only creating opportunities for employment and supporting the poor, but […]

Advent began in Bethlehem, and in Manger Square, the crowds gathered to see the lights turned on on the huge tree, which will illuminate the square until Christmas. At this time of the year, the Palestinian city is full of celebration and joy; full of people who are there to re-live the moment which changed […]

How can the Gaza Strip – a place which by definition is closed and with few links to the outside world – convert itself into a window to the world? What type of world can be seen from the windows of the houses in Gaza? How many of these still exist after the wars which […]

These are the words spoken by Pope Francis at the audience held on 21 November in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace for those taking part in the Plenary Assembly of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches (the complete speech can be found on: vatican.va). “This morning I was able to learn from […]

Dedicated this year to the beauty of Galilee, the 2014 Massolini Calendar can be viewed by clicking on the image below. The idea for the Calendar, which each year is dedicated to a different aspect or region of the Holy Land or the Middle East, was born in 1989, the work of Giovan Battista Massolini […]

The launch of Association  pro Terra Sancta´s Christmas campaign to support the children of Bethlehem In the city where Jesus was born, those who today are most affected by the difficult economic and political situation are the children. To be born in Bethlehem today means in fact to come into the world in a difficult land, […]

After 18 months of works the Church of Gethsemane has recovered its former glory: the restoration of the precious mosaics has been completed, and the 5,000 pilgrims who each day visit the Church of the Agony in Jerusalem will once more be able to linger in the Church’s ancient aisles, immersed in a nocturnal setting […]

The elderly are generally part of one of the weakest elements of contemporary society, and this is especially the case in a place such as Bethlehem where, in addition to the Wall which severely complicates daily life, the elderly must frequently struggle against the “wall” of solitude and illness. To be elderly in Bethlehem means, […]

[From Custodia.org] On November 4th Pope Francis named Fra Georges Abu Khazen OFM Apostolic Vicar of Aleppo, Syria for the Latins (Roman Catholics). At the same time the news was announced, the Custos of the Holy Land sent all the friars of the Custody an official communique, rejoicing in the Holy See’s recognition of the […]

On 7 October the Italian Minister of Cultural Heritage and Activities, Massimo Bray, during his visit to the Middle East, went to the Church of Gethsemane in Jerusalem, where he was able to see the restoration and preservation project promoted by the Italian Consulate General in Jerusalem through the joint Italian-Palestinian Palestinian Municipalities Support Program […]

“We are all called to be poor, to strip us of ourselves; and to do this we must learn how to be with the poor, to share with those who lack basic necessities, to touch the flesh of Christ! The Christian is not one who speaks about the poor, no! He is one who encounters […]