Custody of the Holy Land

30.9.2005: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ in America, I greet you from Jerusalem. Thank you for allowing me to talk with you this morning. And thank you for your love and care and for your accompaniment with us. (HCEF)

29.9.2005: Reflections from the Holy Land
My tour guide good-naturedly took out a cigarette and handed it to the stranger. Bumming cigarettes isn't uncommon even among strangers, but Nadr, my guide for the day, was Palestinian. (rutlandherald)

29.9.2005: Pope Encourages Israeli-Palestinian Peace Moves
At the weekly general audience Benedict XVI encouraged initiatives of education in peace promoted by Israelis and Palestinians. (Zenit)

28.9.2005: Rare Hebrew Manuscripts From Vatican on View in Israel
In honor of the Israel Museum's 40th anniversary, the Vatican Library has loaned four illuminated Hebrew manuscripts from its collection, which have never been shown to the public in Israel. (Zenit)

27.9.2005: Jordan's biblical sites
Enthusiasm flows from Rustom Mkhjian like the stream of holy water his team of archaeologists christened John the Baptist Spring. What's enlightening about this discovery, hailed as one of the most significant archaeological and religious finds of modern time, is that I am standing in the kingdom of Jordan. (PalestinianChristians)

27.9.2005: Christians for Israel International published today their latest blast of Sabeel
Their Autumn edition of 'Israel & Christians Today' which is sent to thousands of pastors and clergy in the UK, Holland, Germany, Belgium, Australia and New Zealand contains two major articles - one condemning Sabeel and one extolling the Revd Andrew White and the Centre for Reconciliation. (PalestinianChristians)

27.9.2005: Holy pilgrimage: Plateau to sponsor over 500 Christians
The state had last year bankrolled the trip of 500 Christians to the Holy Land. The state’s chief executive noted that it became necessary following the intercessory prayer of the state citizens. (thetidenews)

26.9.2005: A tale of two Palestinians
Mazin is an American academic and the virulent leader of several anti-American and anti-Israeli groups and a self-proclaimed Palestinian nationalist who routinely calls Israelis "Zionazis." (israpundit)

26.9.2005: Hey little boy
After my holidays and some business I picked up the dread of my daily work here. I see that the youth house will cost much time. But first I will write about last Wednesday, the UN peace day. (CTS)

24.9.2005: Inter-faith dialogue between Christians, Jews and Muslims against consumerism and fundamentalism
In the Middle East, inter-faith dialogue among the three monotheistic religions—Christianity, Judaism and Islam—must develop based on clarity. This requires knowing each other and finding the common values and elements that link the three traditions. Mixed schools and marriages favour better understanding of other religions. But respect for human rights and religious freedom is necessary. (AsiaNews)

24.9.2005: Taybeh October Fest Reflects Democracy in Palestine
As a first time event to promote not just Taybeh Beer but all local products made in Taybeh, the October Fest aims to boost the economy by inviting people to come and purchase beer, olive oil, maftoul (couscous), honey, vigil lamps, soap, embroidery, olive wood products, and various art crafts and to enjoy a special day of food, fun, music and the beautiful hills of Taybeh. (Amin)

24.9.2005: Jewish and Christian leaders on mission of peace to Jerusalem
Leaders of the mainline Protestant Christian and Jewish communities of the United States have been working for over a year constructively to address issues that concern the two communities, of which the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is among the most serious. (Church executive)

22.9.2005: Jerusalem to Observe International Peace Day
The ceremony will be attended by the deputy mayor, Mr. Yigal Amedi and 200 school children, including Jews, new immigrants, Muslims, and Christians – a whole variety of cultures and languages. (israelnationalnews)

22.9.2005: CLEANLINESS AND GODLIN
The sun is setting, casting an orange-tinted hue over Jerusalem. Sharon, a Jewish secular bride-to-be in her late twenties, enters the modest building tucked away in a small Jerusalem alleyway. (themedialine)

21.9.2005: Pope's Talk of Treaty With Israel Seen as Significant
The Church in Israel welcomed the references Benedict XVI made to the treaties and negotiations between the Holy See and Israel in his address to the country's chief rabbis last week. (Zenit)

21.9.2005: A synagogue stripped of its Torah scroll, Holy Ark and even the Mezuzah on the doorframe, is no longer a synagogue
It is not a "holy place", unless, perhaps, hundreds of years of history have imbued the structure with some special significance. The same goes for former mosques and churches. (metimes)

21.9.2005: Atholics' Role Key in Mideast Peace, Says Nuncio
The Catholic Church holds the key to resolving conflict in the Middle East, says the new apostolic nuncio to the Persian Gulf. (Zenit)

21.9.2005: Jordan recognises Theophilos III as Greek-Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem
Royal decree approves appointment of the Archbishop of Tabor as Patriarch of Jerusalem. The Palestinian Authority unofficially approves the election; Israel remains silent. (AsiaNews)

20.9.2005: Pope eager to see Fundamental Agreement between Holy See and Israel fulfilled
In his meeting with Israel’s Chief Rabbis, Benedict XVI explicitly made reference to Israel’s need to fulfil its commitments to the Church. Talks between the two delegations resume on September 22. (AsiaNews)

20.9.2005: A memorable visit to the Holy Land
When one mentions Israel, one visualises soldiers, fighting, debris, people burying their loved ones, people crying, people running, sun, dirty streets and chaos. This is what we see in the media but is it the real picture? (MaltaIndipendent)

19.9.2005: Seven new deacons ordained
On 17 September 2005, when the Franciscan Order celebrates the Feast of the Stigmata of Saint Francis of Assisi, seven new Franciscan deacons were ordained in the church of Saint Saviour in Jerusalem, which was filled to capacity for the occasion. (CTS)

19.9.2005: Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
On 14 September, Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the celebration was organized by the Franciscan fraternity resident in the basilica, but with the presence of the Franciscans of Saint Saviour, led by Fr. Artemio Vitores Gonzales, the Custodial Vicar. (CTS)

19.9.2005: Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, as it was in the Beginning
The feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is celebrated on 14 September. (CTS)

19.9.2005: Benedict XVI and the Rabbis of Israel: dialogue does not end here
Ties between the Catholic Church and Hebrew religion and state have now reached a stage of maturity, even for Orthodox Jews who in the past considered Christianity as a polytheistic idolatry. (AsiaNews)

19.9.2005: Benedict XVI and Catholic-Muslim Relations
The new consultor for relations with Muslims of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue says that Benedict XVI is more interested in dialoguing with people than with systems. (Zenit)

16.9.2005: Theophilos elected new Jerusalem patriarch, Greek political leadership congratulates
Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantini and Metropolitan Alexius of Tver who had been short-listed along with Theophilos, withdrew from the final election round. (ana)

16.9.2005: Chief Rabbis of Israel Invite Benedict XVI to Jerusalem
The Pope, who warmly welcomed the rabbis, told them that their visit was a "further step toward the process of building deeper religious relations between Christians and Jews." (Zenit)

14.9.2005: Christianity Dying In Its Birthplace
This assault fits a larger pattern. According to the Catholic Custodian of the Holy Land, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Christians in the Bethlehem region alone have suffered 93 cases of injustice in 2000-04. (frontpagemag)

14.9.2005: Lutherans call for two-state solution in Israel and Palestine
The overseeing council of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has reiterated its call for an end to Israels occupation of Palestinian territories and has affirmed the implementation of a roadmap for peace as crucial to establishing a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, with a shared city of Jerusalem. (HCEF)

13.9.2005: “Honour” and not religious hatred behind the attack against Christians in Taybeh
In a letter to AsiaNews, the parish priest of a Christian village in the West Bank tells of a violent “pogrom” on 3 September by Muslims: they were avenging the illicit relationship of a woman with a Christian. According to Fr Raed, the attack was prompted by motives of “culture” and not of inter-religious hatred. (AsiaNews)

12.9.2005: The beginning of the scholastic year 2005/2006 Terra Santa schools
We, the principals of the Terra Santa School in Jerusalem, and In order to be able to begin the new school year in the best way to serve the goals of the Custody of the Holy Land. (CTS)

12.9.2005: Annual pilgrimage to the church of Saint Anne
On 8th September, liturgical feast of the Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Friars Minor went on a traditional annual pilgrimage to the church of Saint Anne in Jerusalem, in order to commemorate the Mother of God in the traditional holy place where she was born. (CTS)

9.9.2005: Coadjutor bishop to Latin patriarch appointed
The Vatican announced that Mgr. Fouad Boutros Twal, Bishop of Tunis, has been appointed Coadjutor Bishop with a right of succession to His Beatitude Mgr. Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. (CTS)

9.9.2005: Latin Patriarchate seminary rector appointed bishop
The Vatican announced that Mgr. Moroun Elias Nimeh Lahham, Rector of the Latin Patriarchate Seminary of Beit Jala, has been appointed Archbishop of Tunis. (CTS)

9.9.2005: 'Islamic mafia' accused of persecuting Holy Land Christians
"The problem exists," said Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Jerusalem's senior Franciscan, known as the Custos of the Holy Land. "The Christian community has always suffered in the last few years because we are a minority. (telegraph)

8.9.2005: Benedict XVI Greets Mayor of Bethlehem
On Sunday, the Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera published statements of Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Franciscan Custodian of the Holy Land, in which he lamented the traumas Palestinian Christians endure by "Muslim extremists in these regions." (Zenit)

8.9.2005: Lutherans call for two-state solution in Israel and Palestine
The overseeing council of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has reiterated its call for an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and has affirmed the implementation of a roadmap for peace as crucial to establishing a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, with a shared city of Jerusalem. (ekklesia)

7.9.2005: The new Bishop of the Ethiopian Community in Jerusalem
The new Bishop of the Ethiopian Community in Jerusalem, Abune Grima, made a official entry into the Church of the Holy Sepulcher on the 6th of September, 2005, at approximately 10:20 a.m. He arrived at Jaffa Gate, one of the gates of the Old City of Jerusalem, shortly after 10 a.m. (CTS)

7.9.2005: Intending Jerusalem Pilgrimes to Pay N238,921
Bauchi State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board (CPWB) has announced that intending pilgrims to Jerusalem would be expected to pay N238,921.25 excluding Basic Travelling Allowance (BTA) of $500. (thisdayonline)

6.9.2005: Pious Jew spits on Christians again
The Jerusalem Post reports another incident of a pious Jew spitting at Christian clergy or symbols in the Israeli-occupied Old City of Jerusalem. (ww4report)

5.9.2005: Christians brutally beaten, homes torched by Ramallah
Early Monday morning, at least fourteen homes of Christian residents in Teybeh, a village in Samaria, were torched by Muslims from the neighboring town of Dir Jarir to avenge the "dishonoring of a woman". (Israelinsider)

5.9.2005: He conflict between Israel and the Vatican may be over, but its root causes were not solved
From the Israeli perspective, the conflict appears simple enough and is due to the fact that the Pope did not condemn the terror attack in Netanya on July 12, which killed five. (Ha-aretz)

2.9.2005: Activities of the Jersualem Parish for the summer of 2005
This year the parish of Saint Saviour in Jerusalem has taken care to organize activities during the holidays of the Christian (Catholic and non-Catholic) children of the Old City, in order to give a service to their formation during the long summer months. (CTS)

2.9.2005: Rosary Program Giving Work to 50 Families
A campaign to sell rosaries in Great Britain, launched earlier this year by a charity, has already given work to 50 Christian families in the Holy Land. (Zenit)

1.9.2005: "Blossoms of peace" Israeli and Palestinian youths share experience
"Blossoms of Peace" is a name given to an initiative launched by the Municipality of Brescia (Italy), in collaboration with Don Pierangelo Ferrari and with Fr. Ibrahim Faltas, the Franciscan parish priest of Jerusalem. (CTS)