Patriarcat Latin de Jérusalem

The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land (AOCTS) held its bi-annual meeting from Monday, March 8 until Wednesday, March 10, 2010 in Galilee at the Domus Galilaeae. The Assembly includes all the heads of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land and at this meeting all were present: the president of the assembly, Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal and his three Vicars, Bishop Marcuzzo from Nazareth, Bishop Selim Sayegh from Amman and Father David Neuhaus from the Hebrew-speaking Catholic community, as well as the two emeritus bishops, Patriarch Michel Sabbah and Bishop Kamal Bathish.

Imponente, battagliero, alla mano come e forse più di un prete di frontiera, monsignor Fouad Twal, dopo essere stato il primo vescovo arabo di un paese del Nord Africa, la Tunisia, dove ha riaperto al culto la chiesa di Djerba, dal 2008 ricopre il difficilissimo incarico di Patriarca di Gerusalemme dei Latini, dove nel 2009 ha accolto il Papa in visita in Terrasanta. Grazie ai buoni uffici della delegazione dell’Mcl in visita in Giordania, che finanzia con i fondi del 5 per mille molte opere sociali promosse dal Patriarcato, monsignor Twal ha concesso a Vita questa intervista.

Aujourd'hui, mercredi 10 mars, un groupe de 35 paroissiens de Madaba (Jordanie) en pèlerinage en Palestine et en Israël sous la conduite de leur curé, le P. Yacoub Rafidi, sont venus en visite au siège patriarcal. C'est la troisième année qu'un tel pèlerinage est organisé. Les paroissiens ont passé les trois premiers jours en Galilée, où ils ont pu se rendre sur les lieux saints des bords du lac de Tibériade et de Nazareth. Ils sont à présent pour quatre jours en Judée, où ils prieront sur les lieux saints de Jérusalem et de Bethléem. Espérons que tous les fidèles du diocèse pourront bientôt venir librement prier sur les lieux saints!

The fourth Sunday of Lent has a special flavor of joy and cheerfulness. The entrance verse starts with the word "rejoice in the Lord." In order to strengthen this invitation to joy, the liturgy proposes the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15). In the same chapter, this parable is followed by two others: the shepherd who finds his lost sheep and the lady who finds her lost coin. How did the shepherd and the woman react after having found what they lost? "Rejoice with me", they said.

Here is the letter the prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, sent to the bishops regarding the collection for the Church in the Holy Land, which traditionally takes place on Good Friday.

Your Excellency,
The preparation for Easter once again launches the appeal to the Pastors of the universal Church to support the Holy Land by offering prayers, attentive participation and practical generosity.

From March 2 to 4, the bishops of the Conference of Latin Bishops in the Arab Region (CELRA) met at the Latin Vicariate in Amman to prepare the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East to come. Their work was focused on studying the Lineamenta of the Synod. Each bishop expressed the difficulties and challenges he faces in his own diocese. The situations being very different, their expectations of the Synod are also different. All, however, agree on one point: the need for a "qualitative leap" in the spiritual life of their diocese.

Although Christian Arabs make up a small minority in the Holy Land, they could be an important bridge in the conflict that has divided the region for too long, says Patriarch Fouad Twal. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem laments, however, that as the international community is slow to take them into consideration, the numbers of Christians are dwindling. Part of the problem, he notes, is that Israel's 20-foot-high wall around the Palestinian territories has made daily life for many almost impossible.

A talk given by Msgr. William Shomali on the 4th of February 2010 at the Studium Theologicum Salesianum of Ratisbonne - Jerusalem on the occasion of the launching of a new book entitled "priests of Christ in the Church for the World". The book was published by Giovanni Caputa SDB and Julian Fox SDB, both lecturers at the same Faculty. The authors, mainly professors of STS, wrote interesting essays concerning priestly figures from the long story of the Church. Was present the Apostolic Delegate Msgr Antonio Franco, many theology professors from Jerusalem and Bethlehem and the students of the STS.

Latin Patriarch Fuad Twal of the Holy City said that the Church’s stance regarding the Israeli authorities’ inclusion of Islamic holy places in the West Bank on the list of Israeli heritage is the same stance as that of the Jordanian Government since it is in charge of the Arab Christian and Islamic heritage.

Tuesday, March 2 – Thursday, March 4
In Amman, meeting of the Conference of Latin Bishops in Arab Regions (CELRA). Work session on the Lineamenta of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East

Friday, March 5
09:00 Meeting at Bethlehem University: presentation of the future Synod of Bishops for the Middle East