Data: 30.6.2005
Fonte: Custodia di Terra Santa

The funeral Mass of Mgr. Jean-Baptiste Gourion OSB, Abbot and Auxiliary Bishop of Jerusalem for Hebew-speaking Catholics, was held on Tuesday 28 June, at the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Mary of the Resurrection at Abu Gosh, of which Mgr. Gourion was founder.

The abbey is officiated by the Benedictines of Monte Oliveto. The solemn celebration was held in French and Hebrew. It was presided by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Michael Sabbah.

The concelebrants during the Mass included Cardinals Cottier and Martini, Mgr. Sambi, Mgr. Bahtish, Mgr. Marcuzzo, Mgr. Salim, Mgr. Melchi, the Abbot of the Monastery of Monte Oliveto Maggiore Mgr. Tiribilli, Abbot Lindemann of Hagia Sion Abbey, Abbot Sauma of the Trappist monks of Latroun, and the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who was accompanied by a delegation of the Franciscan fraternity of Saint Saviour in Jerusalem. Many other priests concelebrated the funeral Mass.

Those who participated included numerous faithful from the Hebrew-speaking Catholic communities of Jerusalem, Beer Sheva, Tel Aviv, and also many male and female religious coming from all over the Holy Land. Many of the faithful had to stay outside the Abbey, and followed the Mass on a big screen which was put up for the occasion.

The homily was delivered in French by Cardinal George Cottier O.P., official theologian of the Holy Father.

At the end of the liturgy Mgr. Gurion was buried within the confines of the same Abbey of Abu Gosh.

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