His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa Prayed During Christmas "May Christ Be Born Anew In This Land”

Every year the city of Bethlehem welcomes thousands of pilgrims, who come to witness the most joyful season for this town, but the ongoing conflict has limited the outward celebrations, yet this joy continuous to live in the hearts of the Christians of the Holy Land, as nothing can turn off the flame of joy brought to us by the Birth of the Savior, which is the hope and joy of the Church.

(The moment the statue of Baby Jesus was placed in the Grotto during Christmas Eve Mass)

On December 24th, 2023, His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and his delegation were welcomed into the City of Bethlehem through a procession, which ended at the Basilica of the Nativity, announcing the beginning of the Prayers, which lead up to Christmas Eve Mass at the Church of Saint Catherine in Bethlehem, adjacent to the Nativity grotto.

During the procession, the Terra Sancta scouts refrained from playing any melodies on their instruments to show solidarity with the people of Gaza. Instead, they raised banners asking for peace and justice to manifest in this land.

(His Beatitude Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, Apostolic Almoner, at the Grotto)

As a gesture of love and nearness to the Church of the Holy Land, His Holiness Pope Francis sent His Beatitude Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, Apostolic Almoner, to pray with the faithful during Christmas, as well as visit the orphans, poor families, and Catholic institutions to listen to their needs in these hard times and convey them to His Holiness Pope Francis.

“I have found an unexpected amount of love in this small city of Bethlehem,” said Elizabeth, a volunteer from the United States, who helps the Sisters of the Incarnate Word in caring for children and young people with physical and mental disabilities in the Hogar Niño Dios welcome house near the Basilica of the Nativity. "Especially at this time of Christmas, despite the lack of external celebrations, their faith, love, and devotion to God remains strong, and this has left a great impact on me,” she added.

Before vesper prayers began, Fr. Rami Asakra, the parish priest of St. Catherine church, welcomed the Cardinals, Bishops, and all the representatives of civil and ecclesiastical institutions, commenting: "We may not show external joy this year as a sign of our humanity and solidarity with the victims of the war. But we are still celebrating Christmas, after being disappointed by the leaders of this world, to prove and proclaim to the whole world that through the Birth of Christ, our king, God became Immanuel, and his light still shines in the darkness, for it cannot overcome him. We have come to remind the world that God is love and that all human beings are his children and have the right to justice, peace, joy, and life". In the evening, His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and an accompanying delegation of Bishops met with Dr. Ramzi Khoury, a representative of President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as several ambassadors and consuls…

This news was originally published on the website of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Please click here to read the full text.