Posts Tagged ‘Jerusalem’

Christ’s tomb exposed for first time in hundreds of years

Monday, March 11th, 2019

For the first time in centuries, scientists have exposed the original surface of what is traditionally considered Christ’s tomb. Located in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem, the tomb has been covered by marble cladding since at least 1555 A.D., and most likely centuries earlier.Read more

Pope meets Palestine’s president

Thursday, December 6th, 2018

Pope Francis and Palestine’s president Mahmoud Abbas, who met on Monday at the Vatican, discussed a number of topics including Christian persecution, the status of Jerusalem and a two-state solution for the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The Vatican says the good relations between the Holy See and Palestine were noted during the meeting, “as Read more

Anglican Studies weekend to be held Hiruhārama/Jerusalem on the Whanganui river

Thursday, August 16th, 2018

A Wellington Anglican Studies programme will be hosting a taster weekend for those interested in the programme. The taster involves attending the Anglican Studies weekend at Hiruhārama/Jerusalem on the Whanganui River from Friday 31 August to Sunday 2 September. Continue reading

Prince William to visit ancestor’s tomb in Jerusalem

Thursday, June 28th, 2018

Prince William’s tour of the Middle East will include a visit to Jerusalem. Besides his state duties, William will visit the tomb of his great-grandmother Princess Alice of Battenberg and Greece. His great-grandmother has been recognised as a Righteous Among the Nations, the highest honor Israel grants to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Read more

Pastor Robert Jeffress – arch anti-Catholic – led prayers

Thursday, May 17th, 2018

Pastor Robert Jeffress, who led the blessing of the new American embassy in Jerusalem is said to believe Satan is behind Catholicism. The Texan, who was invited to lead the blessing by President Donald Trump, has a history of strongly disliking a range of individuals and groups. According to recordings from his radio show “Pathway Read more

Israel suspends church property tax plan

Thursday, March 1st, 2018

Israel’s government has suspended Jerusalem’s church property tax plan. As a result major Christian denominations, including the Catholic Church, have promised to reopen the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. It had been closed for three days as a protest against the proposed taxation regime. The church – revered as the site where Jesus Read more

Church property tax in Jerusalem: no way!

Thursday, February 22nd, 2018

Church leaders in Jerusalem have reacted strongly to paying church property tax. Churches have been exempt from paying property tax for centuries. “The civil authorities have always recognised and respected the great contribution of the Christian churches, which invest billions in building schools, hospitals, and homes, many for the elderly and disadvantaged in the Holy Read more

Pope meets Turkish President amidst protest

Thursday, February 8th, 2018

Pope Francis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met privately on Monday at the Vatican. This is the first visit by a Turkish head of state to the Vatican in 59 years. Erdoğan was returning a visit Francis made to Turkey in 2014. Vatican sources say that at the meeting Francis and Erdoğan discussed “bilateral Read more

Jerusalem: the latest chapter in a century of colonialism

Thursday, December 14th, 2017

One hundred years ago, on 11 December 1917, the British army occupied Jerusalem. As General Allenby’s troops marched through Bab al-Khalil, launching a century of settler colonialism across Palestine, prime minister David Lloyd George heralded the city’s capture as “a Christmas present for the British people”. In a few months’ time, we mark another such Read more

The plight of Christians in Palestine

Thursday, December 14th, 2017

On 6 December, Donald Trump officially recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. “It has been the capital of the Israeli people since ancient times,” said the President. “It’s undeniable, it’s just a fact.” Christians in Bethlehem responded to the news by burning photos of the American president. They held signs saying: “Jerusalem, Palestine’s heart, is not Read more