Bethlehem rejoiced with the festive celebration of lighting of a 65-feet Christmas tree at the edge of Manger Square Dec. 6 – for the first time since December 2022 and the start of Israel-Hamas war 10 months later.
Palestine
Gaza’s Christian Community Persevering Amid Hardship and Hope
The parish priest of Gaza Strip’s small Christian community spoke to Vatican Radio amid tragedy after tragedy unfolding in the enclave, with at least 32 people killed by Israeli strikes only on July 13, including six children at a water collection point.
Pope Francis Speaks to Catholics in Gaza Parish After Ceasefire
Pope Francis said the people who have been trapped in a parish in Gaza had a decent meal for the first time in a long time after a ceasefire was established between Israel and Hamas.
Pope Lauds Gaza Ceasefire as Deal Goes Into Effect, Pushes Two-State Solution
by Elise Ann Allen (Crux) As a ceasefire agreement to the war in Gaza took effect, Pope Francis praised the milestone, voicing hope that authorities can achieve a lasting peace and advocating for a two-state solution. During his Jan. 19, Sunday Angelus address, Pope Francis made the Vatican’s first public statement about the Gaza ceasefire […]
Catholics in Lebanon Are Caught in the Middle of War
“You have your Lebanon and its dilemma. I have my Lebanon and its beauty.” Those prophetic words were written by Kahlil Gibran in the 1920s, and some believe they may be truer today than ever before.
Columbia’s Catholic Chaplain Promotes Peace
As the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel approached, there was a sense of calm at Columbia University — a sharp contrast to last spring, when protests rocked the campus and led the university’s president to resign. Now, with the start of Israel’s incursion into Lebanon and Iran’s subsequent missile attack on Israel, there is concern that the campus could once again see protests. Members of the Columbia University community, however, don’t expect any new demonstrations to reach the same scale as those last spring, according to Father Roger Landry, the university’s Catholic chaplain.
US Catholic Bishops’ Holy Week Message: Pray for an End to Israel-Hamas War
Leaders of U.S. bishops are urging Catholics to pray during Holy Week for an end to the Israel-Hamas war.
U.S. Catholic Leaders Call for ‘Peace and Accountability’ Between Israel and Hamas
With Israel and Hamas still unable to reach a deal to free hostages and halt their war, Catholic leaders in the northwest United States are calling for an agreement between the sides, as well as for them to negotiate a two-state solution for lasting peace.
Relocation of Palestianians Cannot Be A Solution to Gaza Crisis, US Officials Say
As U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has insisted that Palestinians must not be pressured into leaving Gaza and must be allowed to return to their homes once conditions allow, Christians in the Holy Land worry the Israeli statements may threaten other small communities in the Holy Land, including theirs.
Pope Condemns Attack on Gaza Parish Where Israeli Sniper Killed 2 Christian Women
Following the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem’s denouncement of a series of attacks on Christians in Gaza by Israeli forces Dec. 16, including the killing of a mother and daughter at a Catholic parish, Pope Francis and numerous bishops across the globe also condemned the attack, calling for peace.