Many ancient cities have vanished. We read about them in history books without giving much thought to how the world could have been different had they stayed with us. In this instance, the subject is Bethlehem, a city that is vanishing in front of our eyes. Does it matter? This is the question I have Read more
During his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Pope Francis invited Israeli and Palestinian leaders to join him at the Vatican and together pray for peace. Speaking in Bethlehem, the Pope offered President Shimon Peres and President Mahmoud Abbas “my home in the Vatican as a place for this encounter of prayer”. “Building peace is difficult, Read more
Israel is where you can encounter the physical reality of religion. In one short trip, I prayed at the spot where Jesus was born, stood at the foot of the mountain where he fed the 5,000 and touched the rock into which his cross was planted. To all those atheists who say “Jesus wasn’t even Read more
Pope Francis doesn’t want to use bullet-proof vehicles during his upcoming visit to the Holy Land. Rather, the Pope wants to travel by an ordinary car during his visit from May 24-26. Most heads of state use bullet-proof transport in the Middle East. Fears about security for the pontiff have been rising in Israel amid Read more
In an unprecedented event, Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, has held a special session to commemorate St John XXIII. During the Second World War, Archbishop Angelo Roncalli’s efforts are believed to have helped save thousands of Jews from Nazi death camps Archbishop Roncalli was elected Pope in 1958 and took the name John XXIII. His pontificate Read more
In a few weeks, at the end of this month, Pope Francis will follow in the footsteps of his immediate two papal predecessors, by making a religious/diplomatic pilgrimage to the Holy Land to visit Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Pope John Paul II did so in March 2000, and Pope Benedict visited in 2009. Read more
The Dead Sea scrolls will now be accessible for public viewing, and you don’t even need to leave your home to see them. Orchestrated under the Israel Antiques Authority (IAA) with support from Google, the Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library is a free, online archive comprised of thousands of high resolution fragments. History, now, is Read more
As visitors descend upon Bethlehem this holiday season, they will notice a different look for the Church of the Nativity. Wrapped in scaffolding, the basilica located at the traditional site of Jesus’ birth is undergoing a much-needed facelift after 600 years. Experts say that water is leaking from the rooftop and threatens to cause serious Read more
“Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem…” (Luke 2:4) As we remind ourselves each year, Joseph and Mary made their long journey, compelled by a census. It became a journey of joy as Mary gave birth to a baby whom we call the Read more
Christians in Jerusalem have staged an impromptu demonstration to protest against the desecration of churches in Israel by groups of extremist Jewish settlers. “It was a spontaneous demonstration to denounce the repeated attacks against holy places carried out by an irresponsible minority, that threatens the peaceful coexistence among peoples,” said Bishop William Shomali, vicar of Read more