bulletin cic 2012/5

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STATISTICS FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LEBANON

Vatican City – For the occasion of Benedict XVI’s forthcoming apostolic trip to Lebanon, due to take place from 14 to 16 September and during which he will sign and issue the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East, statistics concerning the Catholic Church in that country have been published.

The information, updated to 31 December 2011, comes from the Central Statistical Office of the Church.

Lebanon has a surface area of 10,400 square kilometres and a population of 4,039,000 of whom 2,148,000 (53.18 per cent) are Catholic. There are 24 ecclesiastical circumscriptions, 1,126 parishes and 39 pastoral centres of other kinds. Currently, there are 53 bishops, 1,543 priests, 2,797 religious, 2 members of secular institutes, 2,301 lay missionaries and 483 catechists. Minor seminarians number 62 and major seminarians 390.

A total of 427,180 children and young people attend 907 centres of Catholic education, from kindergartens to universities, as well as 28 centres for special education. Other institutions belonging to the Church or run by priests or religious in Lebanon include 30 hospitals, 168 clinics, 39 homes for the elderly or disabled, 63 orphanages and nurseries, 22 family counselling centres and other pro-life centres, and 28 institutions of other kinds.

Vatican Information Service – September 5, 2012

BENEDICT XVI IN LEBANON, PILGRIMAGE OF PEACE

A pilgrimage of peace.” Benedict XVI arrived in Lebanon on Friday, September 14, for a trip that will include the entire Middle East.

The Pope arrived in the country of cedars in response to President Suleiman’s invitation and to sign the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation for the Middle East.

Upon exiting the airplane, the resounding welcome of the Lebanese people shook the Rafic Hariri Airport: Christians, Muslims, Druze, all very close to the Pontiff, curious about what he would say to them. The Syrian Bishops of Aleppo who were supposed to be present were not able to travel because of the war that is ravaging the country.

The Melkite Greek Basilica of Saint Paul was the place chosen for the signing of the Apostolic Exhortation. Benedict XVI has defined it as a means of finding what is essential, and what is essential—the Pope has said—is to follow Christ, in a difficult and sometimes painful context. But it

September – October 2012/04

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is right now that the “victory of love over hate, of forgiveness over vengeance, of service over dominion, of unity over division” is celebrated. The exhortation is a document that also serves to open up authentic interreligious dialogue, based on faith in God, who is One and Creator, and to contribute to an ecumenism full of human fervor that draws strength from the truth and love of the Gospel.

His encounter at the presidential palace with members of the Lebanese government, religious leaders and cultural representatives was of central importance. The president of the Lebanese Republic, Suleiman, in his introduction to the Pope, focused on a few serious issues affecting the Middle East: the question of Jerusalem above all others, and the so-called Arab Spring that leaves much uncertainty in the entire region. After hearing the president’s words, the Pope replied with an invitation to all to return to the main values of civil co-existence: "It is a matter of saying no to vengeance, of recognizing one’s own faults, of accepting apologies without seeking them out, and finally of forgiving. Because only forgiveness given and taken," explained His Holiness, "creates a long-lasting foundation for reconciliation and peace for all."

The Custody of the Holy Land – September 17, 2012

ECCLESIA IN MEDIO ORIENTE: RATZINGER'S "ROAD MAP" FOR MIDDLE EAST CHURCHES

The Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortion Ecclesia in Medio Oriente invites the Catholic Church in the Middle East to revive communion within the Eastern Churches, and open up dialogue with Jews and Muslims.

Benedict XVI, who signed and delivered the document to the region’s Church leaders during his recent trip to Lebanon, described the document as a “road map for the years to come.”

It is based on the 44 final propositions of the special Synod for the Middle East, which was held in Vatican City in October 2010 on the theme: "The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and witness. 'The company of those who believed were of one heart and soul'.”

The text is subdivided into three parts, plus an introduction and a conclusion. The introduction states that the Church should aim for unity “within the context of

geographical, religious, cultural and socio-political diversity in the Middle East,” and explains that Benedict XVI renews his call to conserve and promote the rites of the Eastern Churches.

In Part One, the Pope exhorts all Christians in the Middle East to bring a "noble and authentic" contribution to the construction of the Body of Christ. He encourages spiritual ecumenism, reasserting that the churches speak with one voice on the most important moral questions (family, sexuality, bioethics, freedom, justice and peace).

He promotes inter-religious dialogue, reaffirming that it is based primarily upon the theological foundations of faith: Jews, Christians and Muslims believe in a single God and for this reason it is hoped that they may recognize in "the other believer" a brother to love and respect, avoiding the exploitation of religion for conflicts which are "unjustifiable for authentic believers".

The Pope affirms that religious liberty - the pinnacle of all freedoms, sacred and inalienable - includes the freedom to choose the religion one considers true and to publicly manifest one's belief

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and its symbols, without putting one's own life or personal freedom in danger. Religious freedom, he writes, does not imply an open door to syncretism, but rather "a reconsideration of the relationship between man, religion and God". The Exhortation also considers at length the matter of secularization and the Pope calls on all religious leaders to do everything possible to uproot the threat of fundamentalism.

Lastly, the Pope focuses on migrants, noting they have often felt humiliated despite their long history as citizens in their homelands. He, therefore, asks political and religious leaders to avoid policies and strategies tending towards a “monochromatic” Middle East which does not reflect its human and historical reality. He also invites the pastors of the Eastern Catholic Churches to help their priests and their faithful in exodus to remain in contact with their families and their Churches. This chapter also considers the question of immigrant workers in the Holy Land, often undergoing hardships.

In Part Two, the Pope highlights the various key roles of members of the Church. He calls on the patriarchs to render tangible the unity and universality of the Church; on bishops to proclaim God’s Word with courage and firmly defend the family; on priests and seminarians, to offer courageous and unambiguous testimony; on religious to collaborate with their bishops in pastoral and missionary activities; on the laity to overcome the divisions and all subjective interpretations of Christian life; on the Church to support the family and for women to play a greater role in public and ecclesial life; and on young people, not to be afraid or ashamed of being Christians, to respect other believers, Jews and Muslims, and to always cultivate, through prayer, a true friendship with Jesus, loving Christ and the Church.

In Part Three, the Pope addresses issues related to communion and witness and recommends a genuine biblical apostolate. The Pope notes that the Middle East is a privileged land of pilgrimage for many Christians who come to consolidate their faith and to seek a profoundly spiritual experience, and asks that the faithful have free access, without restriction, to holy places.

This part of the exhortation also encourages the new evangelization and which should look to both the ecumenical and inter-religious dimensions. With regard to ecclesial movements and communities, the Pope encourages them to act in union with the bishop of the place and according to his pastoral directives. He invites the Catholic Churches of the Middle East to urgently renew their missionary spirit, a strong stimulus of which may be given by the Year of Faith.

With regard to charity, the Exhortation recalls that the Church must follow the example of Christ Who drew close to those most in need: orphans, the poor, the disabled, the sick. The Pope also praises and encourages all those who carry out work in the educational centres, schools, higher institutes and Catholic universities of the Middle East, and encourages the reading and teaching of the catechism of the Catholic Church and a solid initiation in the social doctrine of the Church.

In conclusion, Benedict XVI solemnly asks, in the name of God, that political and religious authorities not only alleviate the suffering of all those who live in the Middle East, but also eliminate the causes of this suffering. Catholics and others, he says, are encouraged to bear witness to Christ, courageously and as one - a difficult witness, but exhilarating.

Terrasanta.net – September 17, 2012


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WAR AND PEACE IN LEBANON AFTER THE POPE’S VISIT

In his address to the General Audience in the Vatican, on 19 September 2012, Pope Benedict XVI had these words to say regarding his pastoral visit to Lebanon on 14-16 September. “I cannot forget the cordial welcome that I received from the President of the Republic (of Lebanon), Mr. Michel Sleiman, as well as from the various components of the country and from the people: it was a warm welcome, befitting the fame of Lebanese hospitality. The Muslims welcomed me with great respect and sincere esteem; their constant participation enabled me to send a message of dialogue and collaboration between Christianity and Islam. It seems to me that the time has come to bear together an honest and decisive witness against division, against violence, against war.”

Barely a month has passed since this historic visit of Benedict XVI, and Lebanon is again steeped in bloodshed and hatred. The car-bomb which exploded in the mainly Christian quarter of Ashrafiya of Beirut is a stark reminder of the dark days of the Lebanese civil war in the 70’s and 80’s, as well as a sign that there are sinister forces who want to disrupt the peaceful co-existence of Lebanese society and create a proxy war in this tiny gem of a country. Politicians were quick to place the blame squarely on the responsibility of terrorists coming from nearby Syria, where the violent uprising against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad has caused hundreds of victims and immense destruction.

The social and political framework of Lebanon is a unique example of peaceful co-existence between Christians (mostly Maronites, with Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholics, and Latins), Muslims (Sunnis and Shi’ites) and Druse. Christian presence in the country remains strong, although many Christians fled or emigrated during the civil war. Unfortunately Lebanon has never been left in peace in the recent past. It was the stage on which Israel and the Palestinians fought a bloody war, and on which Syrian hegemony was supreme, and is still present to a great degree in the Hezbollah party, which is an arch-enemy of Israel. Christians often find themselves entangled in this complex situation.

It would be a pity if the war in Syria were to spread to Lebanon. Christians in Syria are already suffering from the effects of the civil war. Hundreds have fled the country or are living in fear. The Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land is present in parishes, shrines and pastoral centres in Damascus, Aleppo, Lattakiah, and the villages of the Orontes Valley, namely Ghassanieh, Jisr el-Choughour, Yacoubieh, and Knayeh. In Lebanon the Custody of the Holy land is present in Beirut, Harissa, Tripoli, Tyre and Deir Mimas. Together with the Franciscan Capuchins, who are numerous in the country, the Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land take care of the Latin or Roman Catholic community.

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The time is ripe for the international community to stop this senseless killing in the region, and protect Lebanon’s security and its hard-won peace. This is not a question of hatred between religions. It is a question of ruthless political hatred under the form of terrorism. It is high time that people understand that religions can co-exist in peace and fraternity if politicians do not make use of religion to gain their perverse ends of clinging on to power at all costs. Unfortunately in the Middle East history has taught us that, very often, politics and religion have been confused to the detriment of an enduring and peaceful co-existence of peoples in the region.

i-Tau.com – October 21, 2012

POPE TO DISTRIBUTE ARABIC-‐LANGUAGE YOUCAT IN LEBANON Catechism will be a personal gift from Benedict XVI for 50,000 Youth

ROME – Benedict XVI will distribute copies of a new Arabic translation of the youth catechism during his visit to Sept. 14-16 visit to Lebanon.

The first copies of YOUCAT in Arabic are set to be distributed on Sept. 15 at a meeting of the Holy Father with youth.

Youth meeting coordinator Father Toufic Bou Merhi said the 300-page book “has inspired many of the youth in the Arabic world” — even before its translation into their native tongue.

The priest said some 50,000 youth will participate in the meeting with the Pope and the YouCat will be distributed “as a personal gift from the Pope to all the youth participating in the event, similar to what happened in Madrid last year.”

Catholic charity, Aid to the Church in Need, has supported the printing costs of the catechisms in Arabic, having previously helped with the printing of 700,000 copies of YouCat in seven languages for the Madrid World Youth Day in August 2011.

The Arabic edition of YouCat was prepared by a team of translators working under the auspices of the Youth Department of the Maronite Patriarchate in Lebanon. The book was also printed in Lebanon.

Father Andrzej Halemba, the Middle East projects’ coordinator of Aid to the Church in Need, said this “is the first Catechism for young people in Arabic. There has never been such a thing before.

“It is aimed at the youth in Lebanon and the whole of the Middle East. “We hope that the Catechism will contribute to strengthening young people in their faith.” The Pope wrote the foreword to YouCat, which contains answers to 527 questions about the

Catholic faith. “This Catechism was not written to please you. It will not make life easy for you, because it demands of you a new life.”

Benedict XVI encourages young people to know their faith: “You need to know what you believe.

“You need to know your faith with that same precision with which an IT specialist knows the inner workings of a computer. You need to understand it like a good musician knows the piece he is playing.


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“Yes, you need to be more deeply rooted in the faith than the generation of your parents so that you can engage the challenges and temptations of this time with strength and determination.”

Zenit – September 6, 2012

"FAITHFUL, DO NOT LEAVE SYRIA!": PATRIARCHS’ MESSAGE, RALLIED AROUND THE POPE

Damascus – "With all my heart we ask the Christians of Syria not to leave our beloved country, despite the violence, the suffering, the displacement": This is what the Patriarchs of the Christian Churches in Syria ask and since this morning are in Lebanon to "rally around Benedict XVI, a pilgrim of peace in the Middle East."

In a message released by Fides Agency, Christian leaders welcomed Benedict XVI, underline the topic which is dearest to local Churches: the presence of Christian communities in the Middle East. The four leaders based in Damascus shared the message: the Greek-Catholic Patriarch Gregory III Laham; the Greek-Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim; the Syrian Catholic Patriarch Ignatius III Younan; the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch Zakka I Iwas.

In particular, today in Syria there is a danger of an exodus of the faithful, many of whom are already heavily affected by poverty, were forced to leave their homes for the armed clashes, and live as internally displaced or in neighboring countries. In these tragic hours, the Patriarchs ask the faithful: "Be patient, do not run away," inviting them to "bear the pain,” for the sake of Christ.

Christian leaders in Syria deplore the attitude of some Western Chancellors that, explicitly or implicitly, are offering the faithful Syrians the opportunity to emigrate, noting that this "is a temptation," but is not the solution for Christians in Syria. The risk, they note, is a "Lebanonization of the Syrian conflict" (more than 50% of Christians fled Lebanon during the war) or the Iraqi scenario (in recent years the local Christian communities, under the pressure of terrorism, have considerably decreased).

The Patriarchs strongly support the Holy Father’s recent appeal to dialogue and reconciliation in Syria, defined by the Pope "priority for all parties involved" and hope that Benedict XVI’s visit may leave "a deep trace of peace."

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As reported to Fides, a symbol of solidarity and love for the Pope is, in particular, the presence of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch Zakka I Iwas, despite his illness and the dialysis treatment he needs; he wanted to be present next to Benedict XVI.

Agenzia Fides – September 14, 2012

POPE BENEDICT XVI INCLUDES ARABIC LANGUAGE TO GENERAL AUDIENCE

Pontiff Wishes to Encourage Christians of the Middle East VATICAN CITY – Starting today, Arabic will be added to Wednesday’s General Audience,

to explain Pope Benedict XVI’s words to those present in St. Peter’s Square as well as those connected through the media.

Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, director of the Holy See Press Office, said that on October 10, “a commentator will summarize in Arabic the contents of the Pope’s catechesis and will translate his greetings” to the different language groups.

The initiative is a decision of the Holy Father, “in continuity with his trip last September to Lebanon, and with the publication of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Middle East,” explained Fr. Lombardi.

The director of the Holy See Press Office also stated that “in this way the Holy Father wishes to show his continued interest in and encouragement to Christians of the Middle East, and also to remind all of the duty to pray for peace in the Middle East.”

Zenit – October 10, 2012

MORE GRAFFITI SPRAYED ON DOOR OF FRANCISCAN FRIARY IN JERUSALEM

It had happened in December 2009, and was repeated on Monday night: the front door of the Franciscan monastery on Mount Zion - in the heart of Jerusalem, just outside the walls and next to the site of Last Supper - was smeared with graffiti in Hebrew.

The words derided Jesus and used the phrase “price tag”, an Israeli term that “Tag Mehir” extremists use for revenge attacks on Palestinians and Arabs (and occasional Israeli targets too).

The vandalism follows several similar acts of vandalism on the Trappist monastery in Latrun and other lesser known places, a few days before.

In an Oct. 2nd statement, the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land, a group of the region’s leading Catholic bishops and heads of Catholic communities, gave their “full fraternal support and prayer” for the Franciscans and the Christian community in the Holy Land, following the latest attack. The members, who include the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa OFM, also expressed their “grave concern” about the education in “some schools where contempt and intolerance are taught.”


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“More than anything, the assembly again asks that radical changes be made in the educational system, otherwise the same causes will produce the same effects over and over,” they said.

In a similar statement released Oct. 3rd, the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land expressed its “shock and distress” over the vandalism, and called upon the Israeli authorities “to intensify its efforts to capture and bring the perpetrators to justice.”

The Council, whose members include Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders, also called on members of all three faiths of the Holy Land “to extend their hands in peace and to respect the religious dignity and holiness of the Holy Sites for any of the three religions, avoiding any acts of desecration or aggression against them.”

Religious leaders have been making similar statements for some time, but recently Christian leaders have also been working with the Israeli press and the authorities to make their positions known. In a Sept. 7th interview with Haaretz newspaper, for example, Fr. Pizzaballa remarked that in certain circles of Israeli Judaism, particularly among students in many yeshiva (rabbinical) schools, contempt toward Christians is daily bread.

"When I came to the country [Fr. Pizzaballa has lived in Jerusalem since the early 1990s], I was told that I should know that if I walk around with a frock in the city [of Jerusalem], people would spit on me, and I shouldn't be offended, it's normal."

Among other recent examples of disrespectful behaviour, the Custos cited in Haaretz the provocation of a member of the Knesset, deputy Michael Ben-Ari, who in July was filmed tearing up a copy of the New Testament – one of a number of copies sent to him and other parliamentarians by the Bible Society in Israel. The MP defended his actions, saying “This book and those who sent it ought to be thrown into the dustbin of history.” For Christians, it was a shocking gesture, commented Fr. Pizzaballa, and noted that the action hasn’t been adequately condemned for lack of sensitivity in Israel.

In short, Christian citizens of Israel expect the same respect that others rightly claim for themselves.

Israeli President Shimon Peres denounced the latest vandalism, saying it goes against “the morals and values of Judaism” and does “great harm” to the State of Israel. He added that it is “forbidden” to harm religious holy sites. In an Oct. 3rd statement, Israel’s embassy to the Holy See said: “We totally deplore this behaviour and condemn it outright.” It said that it is in “complete contrast” to the nation’s values and our traditions. “Israel is a democracy that guarantees freedom of religion and worship to all,” it added. “This is one of the basic principles of our Democracy.”

In the aftermath of the September vandalism in Latrun, the Israeli government pledged to create special police units to counter acts of intimidation by Tag Mehir. It is an important and significant step, but the work should be intensified in the cultural and educational fields to combat these attacks.

Now would be a good time to do it.

Terrasanta.net – October 3, 2012

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CARDINAL MARTINI: FROM JERUSALEM TO THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM

With deep sorrow, the Church learned of the death of Carlo Maria Cardinal Martini, who died the evening of Friday, August 31, 2012.

The Archbishop emeritus of Milan died at the age of 85, after a long battle against Parkinson’s disease.

With the parting of Cardinal Martini, also goes one of the most important figures of the Catholic Church in recent decades.

The Shepherd, head of the largest Italian diocese for 25 years, was called the “great man”, the “man of God”, both in the Catholic and the secular world.

Pope Benedict XVI expressed his feelings of sadness to Angelo Cardinal Scola, the successor of Cardinal Martini in the Archdiocese of Milan, at the death of the Jesuit Cardinal, describing him as “the brother who served the Gospel and the Church with generosity.”

Professor of Sacred Scripture, Father of the contemporary Church of the East and the West, a person of great moral frankness, the Cardinal of dialog and of the protection of the human rights of different races, religions and ethnicity. He will be remembered as a man of great social sensitivity for all his initiatives regarding the marginalized, prisoners, and the poor and needy.

Cardinal Martini leaves the Church a great cultural legacy with 150 published books and thousands of scientific articles.

In his long life, Cardinal Martini has received countless awards; recall that he was the first Christian to be awarded an Honorary Degree in Philosophy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The Custos of the Holy Land, Fra Pierbattista Pizzaballa, recalled in an interview with Terrasanta.net: “Cardinal Martini had made a clear choice: to be withdrawn. He did not participate in public meetings of any kind, with rare exception. He did not even take part in liturgical events, with the exception of Holy Week. We knew, for example, that he loved to spend days or extended periods in some of the Holy Places (such as Mount Tabor), but no one really noticed his presence. It was a deliberate choice, primarily due to internal reasons, but I think so that he would not be a hindrance to anyone. He knew that his presence could, in spite of himself, in some circumstances be cumbersome.

He had amicable relations with the heads of Churches. We would meet mainly on formal and institutional occasions.”

Cardinal Martini’s love for the Holy Land was so exclusive that in 2002, he went to Jerusalem, where he lived and cultivated his beloved biblical studies, until his return to Italy in 2008.


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In the summer of 2005, Cardinal Martini received an Honorary Degree from the University of Bethlehem. From this grew the desire to create the “Cardinal Martini Leadership Institute”.

At the meeting in Bethlehem this morning, Dr. Joseph Zaknoun, Director of the Institute said, “The University of Bethlehem has lost a great friend, an excellent friend! One of the most important ecclesiastical figures, who inspired the founding of the Institute on the Campus at Bethlehem University nearly four years ago. The aim of the Institute is to develop the leadership skills of the Palestinian people, in particular the young people, women and Palestinian mothers. To date, the Institute has achieved much success, both in the concept of leadership in the Church and in methods of communication. Five hundred women have enrolled in the courses in communication, both Muslim and Christian, and a considerable number of young people are currently attending these courses.”


ARMENIAN ORTHODOX PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM TORKOM MANOUGIAN II DIES

Armenian Orthodox Patriarch Torkom Manougian II, Primate of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem since 1990, passed away on October 12th, at the age of 96.

He had suffered a stroke in January, falling into a state of unconsciousness. In March, after emergency treatment, he was discharged from the Hadassa Ein Karem hospital and taken to the infirmary of the Franciscan convent of San Salvatore, which cares for the elderly and sick friars of the Custody of the Holy Land. Patriarch Manougian died at the convent at half past nine in the morning.

Born February 16, 1919, in a refugee camp near the city of Bakouba, north of Baghdad (Iraq), he entered the Theological Seminary of the Armenian Patriarchate of St. James in Jerusalem at the end of the first cycle of studies. He was ordained deacon in 1936 and priest in 1939.

Before being elected Patriarch in the Holy City, Torkom Manougian II spent an important part of his life (38 years) in the United States, arriving there in 1946. For 24 years he served as Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America.

A poet, musician, and writer, he had a keen interest in many subjects including the liturgy, the history of the Armenian genocide, and questions regarding the Holy Places.

In 2010, for the first time in the history of the Armenian Orthodox Church, an auxiliary bishop supported him. After his stroke earlier this year, Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, patriarchal vicar, was re-confirmed as the manager of day-to-day business.

The funeral of the patriarch will take place on 22nd October 22nd, in Jerusalem. The Armenian presence in Jerusalem dates back to 95 BC. Its Patriarchate was founded in

638, when the caliph Omar Ibn al-Khattab (Omar I) proclaimed Abraham I deacon of the bishops of the Armenian Church, Patriarch of the Armenians and head of the Eastern confessions (Assyrians, Copts and Ethiopians) to neutralize the power the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Sophronius. The investiture attracted the hostility of Greek Orthodox Armenians, leading to sometimes tempestuous

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relationships with the Armenian Church, especially when it came to the Holy Places under the Status Quo regime (the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, the tomb of the Virgin in Jerusalem, and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem).

In 1948, Armenian residents of Jerusalem were estimated to number 16,000. Today, the official figure is 2,000, although some believe they do not exceed a thousand. This community is educated, industrious and dedicated to businesses but has suffered while living in Israel.

"The Israelis consider us survivors of the Armenian genocide, but the Israeli government sees us as Palestinians," says George Hintlian, one of the local Armenian personality. The difficulty in obtaining permits has contributed to many Armenian Orthodox leaving the country. The patriarchy is also under pressure, defending its important properties in Israel.

But its historical presence over many centuries, the support it receives from the Armenian diaspora, and its responsibility for managing church property will ensure that the Armenian Patriarchate won’t disappear from the landscape of Christianity in the Holy Land. The question is: what future will its local community face?

It is a question that is becoming more pressing with the passage of time, and one to which the new Armenian Patriarch will have to respond.

Terrasanta.net – October 13, 2012

COMMEMORATION OF THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BABY CARITAS HOSPITAL IN BETHLEHEM.

Sunday the 23rd of September, in Saint Francis Church in Bethlehem, the commemoration of the 60th foundation anniversary of Caritas Baby Hospital was held.

The Church was crowded with faithful, locals, foreigners and religious, there to join in the Eucharistic celebration, presided by H.E. William Shomali, Auxiliary Bishop of Jerusalem and Palestine, and concelebrated by H.E. Felix Gmür, Bishop of Basel in Switzerland. The Italian Consul General, Mr. Gianpaolo Cantini, was present.

Following the greetings, Bishop Shomali thanked the Lord for the 60 years of service devoted with a spirit of sacrifice and perseverance, notwithstanding numerous difficulties; mentioning the many generous people who came from Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Austria and England who cooperated in sustaining this important institution.


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The homily was inspired by Sunday's Gospel. Bishop Shomali interpreted Jesus' words when He told his disciples: "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me ..." to signify that Caritas Baby Hospital's love in these 60 years of work has been for “the weak, humble and meek human beings. Baby Jesus's image, he who was born here, in this town."

He thanked, in particular, the Franciscan Sisters of St Elizabeth of Padua, present in the hospital since 1975, a spiritual and human reference point for the child-patients and their parents, taking care of them tirelessly and with maternal tenderness.

At the conclusion of the Mass, those present continued the celebration at the hospital, which is located a few meters away from checkpoint into Bethlehem.

Father Michael Shweiger, the Foundation's President, and Mr. Issa Bandak welcomed everyone; Bishop Felix Gmür and the Palestinian Minister of Health, Dr. Hani Abdeen, exchanged words of gratitude.

Three young students from the Edward Said Institute performed a short musical entertainment. Those present visited the photo exhibition that shows the hospital's history. The ceremony ended with a reception set up in the hospital courtyard.

The hospital was built in 1952, by Swiss priest, Father Ernest Schnydrig, after he visited Bethlehem. He realized how difficult the living conditions of the Palestinian people living were, and was moved in seeing a father burying his son, who had died because of the lack of medical treatment. Urged by this serious situation, he started a project to build a primary health care centre for all the children who were born in Jesus' land, without discrimination.

It is known that in Palestine there was a lack of free health services, and for this reason the founder wanted to assure health assistance. In 1963, the project was joined by the “Children Relief Bethlehem”.

The hospital was built on a piece of land donated by the Franciscan Friars of the Custody of the Holy Land. It was visited by Pope Benedict XVI during his pilgrimage to Bethlehem, in May 2009.

The Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem, the only pediatric hospital in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, equipped with modern and specialized equipment, has recently added a clinic and two "schools for mothers," buildings that host the mothers of the admitted children, educating them on how to take care of their children.

The Bethlehem Caritas Baby Hospital admits around 30.000 babies and children per year for health care services, for a total of circa 500.000 Palestinian children, under fourteen years of age.

The hospital employs 218 people: doctors, nurses and auxiliary staff. Cts


TANTUR: CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF ACTIVITY IN THE HOLY LAND

The Ecumenical Institute of Tantur celebrated forty years of foundation in the Holy Land (1972-2012). For the occasion, the Institute organized two days of study and reflection, October 26 and 27, on the theme: “Hope for Unity: Living Ecumenism today”.

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In an atmosphere of sharing and communion, the speakers detailed the activities carried out by the Institute on the theme of ecumenical dialogue, in a particular context such as the Holy Land.

Since 1972, the Institute, commissioned by Pope Paul VI and located atop a hill situated between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, has welcomed members of the clergy and lay experts, teachers and students or anyone who wants to spend a period of study in a spiritual, communal atmosphere.

The Institute offers educational courses of varying duration, during which time participants can study the history and traditions of the Holy Land, as well as the rich religious and cultural heritage of the communities that live side by side for centuries.

Courses are offered to deepen ones understanding of Judaism and Islam. In this land where Christianity has its roots, where Jesus prayed that they may all be one with

the Father, the Institute continues to testify, even worldwide, the importance of ecumenism and theological, historical and cultural formation.

An oasis of study, research and spiritual quest where one can share an experience in the Land of Sacred Scripture with scholars, teachers, students of all faiths, clergy and members of religious communities, university groups; a testimony that fellowship is possible in each place and at all times. Cts

The Custody of the Holy Land – October 29, 2012

THE “EUCHARISTIC SYMPHONY” BY FRA ARMANDO PIERUCCI BRINGS TOGETHER THE CHURCHES OF JERUSALEM

IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE

“In the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus was left alone by his apostles, the Churches of Jerusalem have kept vigil together.” A perfect closure for the live broadcast that took place on Saturday, September 22. The Franciscan Media Center of the Custody of the Holy Land broadcast the concert live via a number of Catholic television stations around the world (Catholic TV in the States and Salt and Light in Canada in English), as well as streaming via internet.

It is the first time the Churches of Jerusalem, represented at their highest levels, have come together to participate in a non-official event and moreover one of an artistic nature; image of peace, communion and unity in diversity, in a word ecumenism.

The liturgical hymns were sung by representatives of the various Churches, including two Archbishops, including Archbishop Joseph Jules Zerey, Greek Melkite Catholic Patriarchal Vicar, His Grace Swerios Malki Murad, Syrian Orthodox Archbishop, Rev. Archimandrite Aristovoulos Kyriazis, and the head dragoman for the Armenian Orthodox Church, Rev. Fr. Gossan Aljanian. The “Eucharistic Symphony” is actually a “symphony of ecumenism”, an oratorio of traditional segments from hymns taken from the repertoires of the various churches, sung “a cappella” by the soloists and interspersed with segments for chorus and string orchestra, composed especially by Fra Armando Pierucci, titular organist of the Holy Sepulchre and founder of the Magnificat Institute of Jerusalem, the music school of the Custody of the Holy Land.


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The Eucharistic Symphony will again be performed in the main hall of the United Nations in Geneva on September 25, in the Cathedral of Milan on September 26 and at the Basilica of San Pietro Caveoso in Matera on September 29: a very complex production with an international scope, made possible through the hard work and commitment of Véronique Nebel, President of the “Association for the Promotion of Extraordinary Prayer of all Churches for Reconciliation, Unity and Peace, Beginning in Jerusalem”, as well as President of the “Friends of the Magnificat of Switzerland”, which for some years has convened in prayer for Christians of Jerusalem and their pastors, in an attempt to overcome the sectarian divisions and historical and psychological barriers, which have settled over time. For creation, organization and promotion of the event, Ms. Nebel had the assistance of two important companions: Arnoldo Mosca Mondadori, President of the Milan Conservatory and Fra Armando Pierucci, who allowed the spiritual idea to be concretized in aesthetic forms.

As the evening began in the garden of Gethsemane, one could see the sun setting over the walls of Jerusalem. The Custos of the Holy Land, Fra Pierbattista Pizzaballa, greeted everyone and introduced the event and said “The Symphony is an invitation to contemplate the profound mystery of the communion of the Church, the mystical Body of Christ, breathing with both lungs (East and West), through the universal language of music”. The Symphony is also proposed as a common witness of the Christian presence standing before the international community, calling for respect for religious freedom, which is threatened in the Middle East, and in many countries throughout the world. The Custos of the Holy Land invited the Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Theopholos, to preside over the blessing.

The concert opened with a piece in Hebrew, taken from Psalm 1, for male chorus. It was followed by liturgical hymns from twelve different Churches. The sequence of hymns was prepared by taking into account the structure of the Mass, hence the title “Eucharistic Symphony”.

The orchestra and chorus were from the Conservatory of Matera Duni, conducted by Maestro Carmine Antonio Catenazzo. Soloists were baritone Carlo Rotunno and soprano Elisa Balbo.

Live television benefited from the expertise of renowned sound engineer Michael Rast. The “Eucharistic Symphony” will be released on DVD and on CD.

By fra Riccardo Ceriani The Custody of the Holy Land – September 23, 2012

THE OLIVE TREES OF GETHSEMANE, RESULTS OF A SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PUBLISHED

The olive garden of Gethsemane, one of the holiest sites of Christendom – remembered for the agony of the Lord Jesus before his arrest - can now be more fully known by each believer.

This is due to the results of scientific research, supported by the Custody of the Holy Land, on the garden’s eight ancient trees. The research, which began in 2009, lasted three years and was conducted by a team of researchers from the National Research Council (CNR), and various Italian

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universities. The study was presented today at 11.30 am, in the Marconi Hall of Vatican Radio in Rome.

Custos Fra Pierbattista Pizzaballa explained to reporters the meaning of the research findings together with Massimo Pazzini, dean of the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum in Jerusalem, Professor Giovanni Gianfrate, project coordinator, agronomist and expert on the history of olive growing in the Mediterranean, and Professor Antonio Cimato, coordinator of the scientific research, the first researcher of Tree and Timber Institute (Ivalsa) / CNR in Florence.

The research results show that three of the eight olive trees (the only ones on which it was technically possible to carry out the study), as dating from the middle of the twelfth century. Hence, the trees are about nine hundred years old. But one point needs to be made clear: the date indicated refers only to the aboveground part of trees – the trunk and foliage. In fact, the same research has shown that the part below ground, i.e. the roots, is certainly more ancient.

The outcome of the investigation must also be put in relation with ancient travel chronicles of pilgrims, according to which the second of Gethsemane basilica was built between 1150 and 1170 (the period during which the Crusaders were engaged in the reconstruction of the great churches of the Holy Land and Jerusalem in particular). It therefore seems likely that, during the construction of the Basilica of Gethsemane, the garden was rearranged, creating a renovation of the olive trees present at that time.

Another result of great interest emerged when the researchers defined the genetic fingerprint of the eight trees. The analyses of specific regions of DNA are described as having "identical genetic profiles" among all eight specimens. This conclusion brings out the peculiarity that the eight are olive “twins”, to use a metaphorical term, and therefore belong to the same "genotype". This can only mean one thing: that the eight olive trees are all "children" of a single specimen. Or it can be argued that, at a given moment in history - in the twelfth century, and probably long before - portions of quite large branches (branch cuttings) taken from a single plant and planted at that time in the Garden of Gethsemane, in a manner similar to those still adopted by Palestinian gardeners. It is, then, necessary to ask at what point in the course of centuries were these cuttings planted? In the Gospels, the time of Jesus Christ, the olive trees were already there and they were adults. And their next existence is attested by a careful comparative study of the descriptions of the holy place, made by historians and pilgrims over the centuries.


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Fra Pierbattista Pizzaballa, presenting the results of the research, noted that "for every Christian, the olive trees of the Garden of Gethsemane serve as a “living” reference to the Passion of Christ, they witness to the absolute obedience to the Father, even sacrificing his person for the salvation of man, of all men, and are also an indication and memory of man’s disposition to “doing the will of God", the only way to identify a believer. In this place, Christ prayed to the Father, and put his trust in Him to overcome the agony of death,” the Agony”, the Passion and the terrible execution on the cross, trusting in the ultimate victory, the resurrection and the redemption of men.

These centuries-old olive trees depict the "roots" and "generational continuity" of the Christian community of the Mother Church of Jerusalem. As these trees -- planted, burned, killed and sprouted again, throughout history, on a "never-ending" stump - so the first Christian community vigorously survives, animated by the Spirit of God, in spite of obstacles and persecution."

By Carlo Giorgi Terrasanta.net – October 19, 2012

OLIVE HARVEST, AMIDST JOY AND PAIN

It is the harvest season! On Saturday, October 13, a group of thirty people of different nationalities came to pick the fruits of the olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane, led by Father Diego, OFM. Harvesting olives in this holy place is a joy. Yet as the harvest began throughout the country on Tuesday, October 9, it has become a source of tension in many areas.

Ladders leaning upon olive trees, nets and tarps cover the ground, buckets and rakes are the new ornaments in the garden for a few days as tourists and pilgrims walk by. Thousands of olives will be harvested by hand one olive at a time in this holy place, where Jesus prayed in his hour of agony. “I like to think that Jesus also picked olives” said Father Diego, a Franciscan Friar in charge of the retreat hermitage at Gethsemane, as introduction to the day of harvest.

We pick the fruits of our trees, which are also the fruits of God’s creation.” For hours under the hot October sun, volunteers harvested the olives with care and joy and collected them in large bags. The Franciscans will extract oil from these olives and make the pits into rosaries.

So the heart of the fruit of the olive trees planted in the garden where Christ shed tears of blood, will end up in the hands of Christians. With the rosaries, they pray with Mary the first of the sorrowful mysteries, “the agony of Christ” in Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives.

Olives and anger According to the Oxfam organization, about 9.5 million olive trees grow in the West Bank.

The olive growers employ 100,000 workers and reported that on good harvest years olives contribute up to $100 million (70 million euros) to the Palestinian economy. This the challenge of the harvest. But for several years the harvest season is a time of increased tensions between 350,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and Palestinian farmers.

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Last week, the Palestinian government in Ramallah denounced a series of attacks by settlers on the trees. In a few days, 70 olive trees were uprooted from Qaryout in the northern West Bank, more than 100 others in Al Moughayer (village north of Ramallah), and a substantial number were burned in other villages. The stories are recurring and incidents increasing. According to a report by the European Union in 2011, 10,000 olive trees were destroyed by extremist settlers, a cost estimated at 138 million dollars (103 million euros) annually to the Palestinian economy.

Latin Patriarchate – October 19, 2012

BETHLEHEM AND UNESCO PLAYING BY THE RULES

As was the case ten years ago, during the Siege, the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem returned to the headlines in the spring-summer of 2012, attracting media and diplomatic attention. This time, though, the controversy unfolded by means of statements, congratulations, denunciations and votes taken – without recourse to arms.

The Palestine Liberation Organization, admitted to UNESCO as a member State, asked for the Shrine of Christ’s Birth to be declared part of the cultural heritage of humankind. Israel strenuously opposed the motion, as did the United States; both oppose recognition of the State of Palestine except in the context of a definitive peace treaty between it and Israel. Resolution was by taking a vote at a meeting of UNESCO (in favor of the motion), praised by some, denounced by others, all and without a single shot being fired.

The Churches had concerns about the insertion of UNESCO into their bilateral relations with the Palestinian Authority, and those were laid to rest by explicit guarantees on the part of the latter.

Hopefully this new international status of the Nativity lessens the danger of another violent episode in the future; it will surely help to safeguard the Shrine’s architectural integrity.

Peace can also mean nonviolent conflict. This is not a high ideal, but it is so much better than bloodshed.

Europe understood this in 1648, when the Peace of Westphalia ended the last great “war of religion” on the Continent. Westphalia did not reconcile the Protestants to the Catholic Church, nor could it legitimize Protestantism in the eyes of Catholics, but it did dictate rules to exclude war between States from Christendom’s experience of dividedness. Much like the experience of mature democracies, internally. These may seem riven by conflicts between Catholics and secularists, conservatives and progressives, supporters and opponents of all sorts of positions.

Democracy does not bring about reconciliation among the factions, does not work out some higher synthesis of opposing worldviews. What it does, though, is provide a framework for the most vigorous competition among them, imposing the rules by which it must be played, peacefully. The democratic State thus functions as an umpire policing the boundaries of that which is acceptable in the public square.

This may not be an heroic vision of society, nor does such an arrangement necessarily repress all vices and promote all virtues, but it is certainly vastly preferable to a bloody fight to the death


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among the factions, which in the end would not have truly resolved anything, anyway. So let us learn to appreciate this, too.

And hope that it will be appreciated also by those nations in the Middle East that are now trying to fashion democratic societies. The horrific violence and suffering in Syria moves us to wish with all our heart that it turn out to be so. Too, an occasional reminder to us, in the West, of the blessings of messy and unheroic democracy may be in order as well.

By David M. Jaeger Terrasanta.net – September 15, 2012

YEAR OF FAITH OFFICIALLY OPENS IN DEIR RAFAT It is on the feast of the Virgin Mary that the Year of Faith in the Holy Land was officially opened during a celebration in the sanctuary of Deir Rafat.

The solemn Mass was celebrated by the Catholic Ordinaries of the Latin and Eastern Rites with about 70 priests. More than 2,000 faithful and devotees were present including Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. It was a significant ecclesial event.

“May the Virgin Mary shine as a star on the way of the new evangelization.” The Pope, concluding his homily on October 11, for the opening of the Year of Faith (October 2012 – November 2013), placed the Church under the protection of the Virgin Mary. This “spiritual pilgrimage” which is the Year of Faith invites all Catholics around the world to deepen their faith. Without a doubt, this inner momentum must also inspire a new evangelization and the just concluded Synod.

All Catholic rites together The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land decided to officially open the Year of

Faith on Sunday October 28 at Deir Rafat. Neither the date nor the place is the result of chance. Indeed, it is on the occasion of the celebration of the Diocese of the Holy Land that Christians have joined the path that the Universal Church is called to follow in the next twelve months. Every year, on the Sunday following October 25, Christians in the Holy Land celebrate the feast of its patroness, Our Lady, Queen of Palestine in Deir Rafat. The sanctuary is located halfway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. It was built in 1927 to seek the protection of the Virgin Mary for her homeland. And who else but the Virgin Mary of Nazareth can better lead the faithful of the Holy Land to live this Year of Faith!

The day was a great celebration and a powerful moment of ecclesial communion. Families, children, priests and seminarians, men and women religious, and volunteers in the Holy Land, 2,000 strong gathered and prayed together. Latin Patriarch Emeritus Michel Sabbah presided over the Mass since Patriarch Fouad Twal was still in Rome for the conclusion of the Synod for the New Evangelization. Representatives of all the Catholic rites: Latin, Melkite, Maronite, Armenian, Chaldean and Syriac Catholic concelebrated at the Mass. It was a strong sign of unity and faith lived side-by-side.

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Gift and a journey of hope This witness of unity is essential in the Holy Land where the challenges are many. The risk of

communities in the Middle East is to display faith only under the criterion of a social identity. Bishops hope that faith is lived in a relationship of love, trust and loyalty to God. To do this, the diocese has prepared homilies, catechetical program and initiatives dedicated to reading the Bible as a family, and encouragement to reception of the sacraments. The Church renews its invitation for the faithful to participate in the Mass and inter-ritual celebrations, to pay more attention to Catechism, initiatives for pilgrimages and prayer in the Holy Places.

In his homily, Bishop Maroun Lahham, Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan, said that “Mary has been the most illustrious woman of this land,“ given the most beautiful attribute “full of grace.” “For this , says the Bishop, the Virgin Mary did not ask for anything. God’s gifts are free and are not related to our merits.” Mary responded with a “yes,” “I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to Thy Word, Lord” and by her “thank you” as expressed in her Magnificat.” In the same way, the Bishop continued, we Christians of the Holy Land are called to welcome this Year of Faith gratefully and without reservation. Because we live here, we must be the first to witness to our faith and our hope.” Citing the Post-Synodal Exhortation Ecclesia in Medio Oriente, the Pastors of the Catholic Churches of the Diocese in their Pastoral Letter for the Year of Faith reminded everyone that “the example of the first community in Jerusalem can serve as a model for renewing the present Christian community…”

“The Year of Faith, as stated in the Pastoral Letter which was distributed during the celebration, takes on a special character, “the geography of the history of faith that stood(…) the great cloud of witnesses to faith who populate the Sacred Scriptures sprang up from this very land. (…) This Mother Church of Jerusalem, custodian of the faith of the Apostles, is our Church and continues to provide models of faith even until today: Blessed Maryam Bawardi, Blessed Marie-Alphonsine, Venerable Samaan Sruji.” These difficult times in the Middle East make it even more obvious that faith is not a matter of effort, but the free gift of the Lord. A journey of hope.

The solemn Mass was followed by a beautiful traditional procession with the icon and statue of the Virgin. Popular devotion, prayers, songs to Mary, sacrament of reconciliation, and blessings were part of the day’s celebration…an opportunity for God’s people who live in the Holy Land to express their love for the Virgin Mary, a privileged daughter of this Holy Land.



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LATIN PATRIARCHATE WILL CELEBRATE EASTER 2013 ACCORDING TO THE JULIAN CALENDAR

Within two years, all Eastern rite Catholics and the Latin diocese in the Holy Land will adopt the Julian Calendar (used by the Orthodox) for the date of Easter.

This will take place after completion of the decree and approval from the Holy See. Meanwhile, the Bishops of the Catholic Churches of the Holy Land have the option of starting the implementation in 2013. This is the case with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Following a directive from the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land (ACOHL), this decision marks a step forward towards ecumenism. This directive comes in response to pressure on the part of the faithful. In fact, many Christian families in the Holy Land are from and in mixed marriages between Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants.

In the past, many family members could not celebrate Easter on the same day since Catholics follow the Gregorian calendar while the Orthodox follow the Julian calendar. The Council of Nicaea established that Easter should fall on the Sunday after the full moon following the spring equinox. The Gregorian calendar was designed to correct a miscalculation in the rotation of the earth which was discovered in the 15th century; the Julian calendar was in use before the new calendar was implemented. The majority of the Orthodox churches did not adopt the new (Gregorian) calendar reform initiated by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 due to the schism.

Until this day, the Julian calendar is still in use; hence the discrepancy in the calculation of the Easter date.

Who says these adjustments will bring about unification? The diocese of the Latin Patriarchate which includes Jordan, Cyprus and a majority of

Palestine has already implemented the experience of unifying the date of Easter according to the Julian calendar which has been largely successful.

What is new mainly has to do with the Patriarchate parishes who are in Israel. For Easter 2013, majority of Catholic parishes will join this decision and celebrate Easter on May 5 with exceptions made in Jerusalem and the Bethlehem area because the Status Quo Agreement.

For Easter 2015 and the following years a decree formulated by the ACOHL will be submitted to the Holy See for approval. This decree should state that all the Catholic Churches of the Holy Land will permanently adopt the Julian calendar for the celebration of Easter “with the consequential adjustment of the liturgical calendar for the beginning of Lent and the feast of Pentecost. (…) Largely, this decision will be welcomed, respected and enacted by all of the Eastern Rite Catholics and Latin Catholics in the country as well as by foreigners residing in our diocese” says the directive.

In 2014, Easter will fall on the same day and shared ecumenically. Catholics and Orthodox will celebrate Easter on the same day on April 20 which is by virtue of both calendars being concurrent on the date. This means that the issue of a change which is by decree will not be adopted until the following year.


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EAST JERUSALEM, THE CAPITAL OF DROPOUTS Years of intentional neglect of Arab schools have led to a shortage of 1,000 classrooms and a 40-percent dropout rate among 12th graders

The Ahmad Samah State elementary school in Abu Tor in East Jerusalem is located in an old three-story residential building whose bedrooms and balconies have been turned into classrooms. Recess starts at 10:30 A.M., and the pupils in their blue uniforms go outside. The yard - a few dozen square meters - would be spacious for a private home, but 500 children at recess can barely stand upright in it, let alone play or run.

Not far from there, in Silwan, 130 first through third grade Arab children crowd into four packed classrooms. A few years ago, the school - also part of the state system - had one of its buildings confiscated. It is currently undergoing intensive reconstruction to turn it into a mikveh - a Jewish ritual bath - as part of the tourist center serving the City of David and operated by the NGO Elad. Education is always political, and the state of education in East Jerusalem is a classic example.

Years of intentional neglect of East Jerusalem schools, which serve the Arab population, by the Education Ministry and the city are the result of a great deal of authority combined with very little responsibility. It is doubtful whether the 58,000 schoolchildren who last year visited the City of David as part of the "Ascent to Jerusalem" program instituted by Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar even saw the elementary school in Silwan, just a few hundred meters away, whose backyard is filled with garbage and construction waste.

Dropout problem This week, the NGO Ir Amim, founded to pursue an equitable and stable Jerusalem with an

agreed-upon political future, and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel published a report about educational problems in East Jerusalem. It appears that it is hard to get a straight answer even to very basic questions, such as how many school-aged children (6-18 ) live and study in East Jerusalem. According to one version submitted to the report's authors, there are 86,018 children learning in all educational settings - official, unofficial both recognized, and private. According to the city's spokespeople in response to queries by Haaretz, only 81,000 children attended school last year. This is not just a difference of opinion: All such data directly affect the construction of new classrooms, school budgets and the entire network of educational personnel.

According to data from the end of 2011, based on city numbers appearing in the report, the dropout phenomenon starts as early as first grade (about 2 percent of the 7,700 six-year-olds ) and steadily rises as the years progress, especially at the secondary school level: 5 percent drop out of eight grade, 10 percent from ninth grade, 17 percent from tenth grade, 30 percent from eleventh grade, and 40 percent from twelfth grade. The average dropout rate of children in grades 7-12 in East Jerusalem thus comes to 17.3 percent per year. By comparison, the national average is 1.7 percent in the Jewish sector and 2.8 percent in the Arab sector.

"The city does almost nothing in order to bring dropouts back to school," says Hatham Hoyas from the Jerusalem Union of Arab Parents Associations. According to him, kids - even elementary schoolchildren - drop out and go to work in West Jerusalem. "You can find them in many


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restaurants, working in the kitchen," he says. "When the economic situation is as bad as it is, a kid who manages to bring in a couple of thousand of shekels a month is tremendous help to the family." According to National Insurance Institute data, 78 percent of the population in East Jerusalem lives below the poverty line.

Despite the alarming number of dropouts in East Jerusalem, neither the city nor the Education Ministry is engaged in any kind of affirmative action. Last year, according to the report, West Jerusalem operated 16 Maleh alternative education centers designed to prevent pupils from dropping out, compared to only five such centers in the East part of the city. West Jerusalem had 13.5 positions for truancy officers, whereas East Jerusalem had three, of which only one and half were manned last year. In such a reality, it is almost surprising that only 40 percent of 17-year-olds in East Jerusalem stop going to school.

One thousand missing classrooms "Many parents were very excited taking their children to school last week," says Faras Hales,

chair of the Silwan Parents Association. "I, too, enjoy taking my kids to school, but what are you going to do with the fact that it's been over a week since anyone emptied the enormous trash container at the entrance to the school. So here's yet another issue we, the parents, have to worry about and deal with."

Parents try to fill the governmental vacuum in East Jerusalem in the ongoing battle for more classrooms and other basic infrastructures, such as libraries, which don't exist in Silwan schools and many other educational institutions in East Jerusalem.

Two years ago, says Hales, the parents association asked every family to donate one book in order to establish a library in the neighborhood's school. Science labs are a little harder to improvise. But the main problem is the acute shortage of classrooms. "Even if there was room for a library or bomb shelter, it would be better to open another classroom," says Hales.

Compared to other neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, Silwan's situation is considered good. There are eight official state schools in the neighborhood attended by some 4,600 children, and two unofficial but recognized schools serving some 480. In total, 5,080 children are part of the municipal educational system out of some 12,000 school-aged kids, i.e., 42 percent. Another 480 or so children attend private schools in Silwan, costing parents thousands of shekels in tuition. The rest, 6,400 pupils, are forced to travel an hour-and-a-half in each direction to other schools in East Jerusalem. Unlike their Jewish counterparts, Palestinian children do not enjoy reduced-cost public transportation passes, and organized school buses are provided only to pupils in special education programs. Silwan opened its first municipal high school only a year ago.

"When my son started seventh grade, we were told there was no room in the Silwan middle schools," a neighborhood parent told the report's authors, "so we had to register him in a school in Shoafat (a refugee camp at the outskirts of Jerusalem ). The boy travels an hour and a half each way to school at a cost of 40 NIS a day. "In the afternoon, he comes home exhausted."

According to the State Comptroller's 2009 report, East Jerusalem is missing some 1,000 classrooms. Since then, the shortage has only grown. According to city hall's answer to the report's writers, East Jerusalem's classroom shortage now stands at 1,100.

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For more than a decade, between 2001 and 2012, a total of 314 classrooms were constructed in East Jerusalem, 10 percent only last year. Even if all the classrooms currently in various stages of planning and construction are completed, East Jerusalem will still be 750 classrooms short. And as if that weren't enough, some 720 classrooms - about half of the total number in the eastern part of the city - are sub-standard. The average number of students per class is 32, compared to 25 in the western part of the city. The Ir Amim report accuses political figures, including Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, of preferring to promote projects for the city's Jewish residents in areas that could serve as education institutions for Palestinians.

In February 2011, the High Court of Justice ruled in favor of a petition submitted by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel against the Jerusalem Municipality and the Education Ministry, which demanded that every child from East Jerusalem be allowed to register to an official school in his or her residential area or receive funding for tuition in an unofficial but recognized school s/he is forced to attend. "The damage to equality in education in East Jerusalem is not limited to just a few individuals," the decision reads. "It encompasses a significant portion of an entire population segment, which is denied the ability to realize a basic right ensured by law and by the constitutional values of the Israeli legal system."

Students on strike Last Wednesday, more than 3,000 students from Issawiya went on strike to protest the lack of

classrooms and the fact that 150 of their friends can't find a school to attend. "City hall keeps saying that it's planning to build new classrooms, it promises that there'll be a solution next year, but this has been going on for six years already," says Muhammad Abu Humus from the local parents association. "On the Jewish side, they find room for every pupil while the promises they make us are a lie. In the meantime, kids start working or get involved with drugs. We won't accept that our kids don't have the right to a future."

The Jerusalem Municipality responded that the report on education in East Jerusalem "ignores the large and significant steps the city has taken in the eastern part of the city in order to close the gaps created in the last 40 years, as is evident by the construction of hundreds of new classrooms, investments in infrastructures, schools, the quality of education and more, at a cost of NIS 650 million. The actions of the city are steadily gaining more citizen cooperation and involvement." As for the dropout data, the city says that claims about its abandonment of education in East Jerusalem "are simply not true of the current administration" and that the city "is, for the first time in decades, confronting the dropout problem in East Jerusalem."

The municipality further states that, based on the data it has, "the dropout percentage in twelfth grades is less than 40, and the total number of pupils noted by the report is incorrect, because most are registered in the Palestinian educational system." As for allocating buildings, the city says, "City planning is based on the zoning program defining the character of spaces throughout the city." The Education Ministry refused to answer questions about its responsibility for education in East Jerusalem.

By Or Kashti Haaretz – September 5, 2012


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PANEL ON IDF, NATIONAL SERVICE FOR CHRISTIANS RILES ISRAELI ARAB COMMUNITY

A gathering aimed at encouraging Christian Arab youths to be drafted to the Israel Defense Forces and volunteer for National Service is causing controversy in the Arab Community, more so since it was attended by Nazareth Christian priests.

The session, initiated by the Defense Ministry's Youth and Community department, took place two weeks ago in Upper Nazareth, and was attended by dozens of youths from Nazareth and the area.

Upper Nazareth mayor Shimon Gapso confirmed that, for the first time, local priests attended the meeting and welcomed its participants. "I support drafting Christians to the IDF and National Service," Gapso said, adding that "as citizens demanding equal rights they are willing to contribute to the state, and for that reason I agreed to host the gathering. I'm happy the number of participants exceeded expectations, and I hope this activity will continue."

The gathering was not made public, and the press wasn't invited due to the sensitivity of the issue. Last weekend, a newspaper associated with the left-wing Hadash party, reported the event as well as the participation of priests, and warned that the move might have serious social and political consequences on the Christian community, in particular and the Arab Community as a whole.

Nazareth mayor Ramez Jaraisi, who also serves as the chairman of the Arab local councils, published a condemnation of the event on Tuesday, calling for an urgent meeting of the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel.

Jaraisi believes the plans to draft Christians will fail, just as similar plans in the 1950's and 1980's failed: "There is no doubt that this move's renewal is spurred by political interests on the eve

of elections, and its aim is to cause an ethnic divide within Arab society."

"Throughout the years the establishment has refused to treat us as a national minority, and is doing its best to split us up into minority groups. The obvious response is unity which will lead to the failure of these efforts," Jaraisi added.

The event was made known in Nazareth following the decision of the council of the Christian Orthodox community to excommunicate a priest who took part in the gathering. The Council, most of whose members are affiliated with Hadash, published a statement following an urgent meeting on Monday, stating that "Christian Arabs are an integral part of the Palestinian people and are the victims of a long standing policy of discrimination and racism, and therefore will not support a

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move aimed at splitting and causing disputes within the Arab Palestinian society in Israel, including the Christian community in Nazareth and throughout the country."

The statement went on to call for the excommunication of the priest who attended the gathering, Jobrail Nadaf, saying that "he does not represent the community and his positions do not reflect the the mood in the community." The statement added that Nadaf will not be allowed to attend prayer in the city church.

Nadaf rejected the criticism in an interview to El Arab website, saying that it stemmed from internal political interests, and adding that he did not express a position supporting the draft, but only presented the situation of the Christian Arab community in Israel.

"This is a campaign of unbridled incitement, motivated by political reasons," he said, adding that the council isn't authorized to excommunicate him, and that he is supported by many community members and city residents. Concerning the question of the draft, Nadaf said he could not present any position since it is a sensitive issue and he is unauthorized to do so, "but I respect all opinions in this matter, including those who wish to be drafted according to their own free will."

Some of those supporting the move are employed by the state, and several of them are active in an association working for that goal. The association members wrote a Facebook post titled 'drafting Christians to the IDF,' explaining that they did not, in fact, encourage conscription.

"Our aim is to guard, cultivate and direct youngsters who have decided to be drafted, so they shall be aware of what positions they can hold, and the various demands for joining various units, and to help those children during their service."

MKs Mohammed Barakeh, Hanna Swaid (Hadash) and Ahmed Tibi (United Arab List-Ta’al) published a statement on Tuesday deploring the plan to draft Arab youths, and especially Christian Arabs to the IDF and National Service, and called on priests not be a pawn in the hands "of these factors who are aiming to draft Christians and damage the ethnic and social fabric of the Arab Community in Israel."

The Greek Orthodox Church and the Catholic Bishop of Haifa, who are formally in charge of the priests that attended the gathering chose to ignore the event, and did not publish a statement on the matter.

A senior priest in the Catholic community criticized this stance, and told Haaretz that the church is afraid to confront the Israeli establishment. The priest added that this chain of events occurs every time elections are imminent: "This isn't a position that reflects the mood of Arab society or the Christian community," he said.

It is estimated that every year, several hundred Arab youths, both Muslim and Christian, decide independently to serve in the IDF.

Speaking to Haaretz, Nadaf reiterated his rejection of criticism expressed against his participation in the event, saying that the decision to excommunicate him was unrealistic since the council in question was a secular one, adding that its move would not disrupt his continued work in the church and in the service of Nazareth's Christian community.

On the gathering itself, Nadaf said that he was incited just like all the other participants, adding that he only spoke generally of the Christian community and the status of Christians in Israeli society.


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"I said that the Christian community was a peaceful one, seeking peace and fraternity with all other communities," he said, adding that he didn't "express an opinion for or against the draft since I have no authority to do so, and that is the role of the patriarchy."

The priest added: "I respect any person's decision in this matter, and I won't excommunicate anyone or criticize anyone," saying that the struggle against him was led by interested political parties in Nazareth and the community at large.

By Jack Khoury Haaretz – October 30, 2012

ISRAELI ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNCOVER 3,000-‐YEAR-‐OLD CISTERN IN JERUSALEM

Discovery near the Western Wall has changed archaeologists’ understanding of Jerusalem’s water supply during the First Temple Period.

A large public water cistern, dating back to the period of the First Temple, was recently discovered in archaeological excavations conducted in Jerusalem. The cistern is the first of its kind to be uncovered in Jerusalem.

The excavations, conducted at a site in the Jerusalem Archaeological Garden not far from the Western Wall, are being carried out by the Israel Antiquities Authority in cooperation with the Nature and Parks Authority and funded by the Elad Foundation.

In recent years, archaeologists with the Antiquities Authority have been excavating a large channel running from the Temple Mount area to around the Siloam Pool. Today, visitors can already tour a part of the channel, which is located near the Western Wall.

The excavation revealed a number of earlier structures, which were demolished in order to construct the channel, along with the street above the channel, and what appears to be part of the Western Wall.

Over the last few weeks, the excavators discovered that construction of the channel closed up the 250 cubic meter cistern, which was carved out of the stone during the First Temple period, roughly 3,000 years ago.

Discoveries from the First Temple period in Jerusalem are relatively rare, compared to findings from later periods. Despite the fact that archaeological digs have been going on in Jerusalem since the 19th century, this is the first large cistern to be found within the city.

The cistern walls were found to be thoroughly plastered, in the same fashion as other cisterns from the same period found in different areas throughout Israel, including Bet Shemesh and Be'er Sheva. The discovery of the cistern changes current perceptions held by archaeologists, regarding Jerusalem's water supply during the First Temple Period.

Until now, researchers believed that most of Jerusalem's water during that period reached the city directly from the Gihon Spring, which runs from lower Silwan.

According to Eli Shukron, the excavation director on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority,"The exposure of the current reservoir, as well as smaller cisterns that were revealed along the Tyropoeon Valley, unequivocally indicates that Jerusalem’s water consumption in the

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First Temple period was not solely based on the output of the Gihon Spring water-works, but also on more available water resources, such as the one we have just discovered.

According to Dr. Tvika Tsuk, chief archaeologist of the Nature and Parks Authority and an expert on ancient water systems “Presumably the large water reservoir, which is situated near the Temple Mount, was used for the everyday activities of the Temple Mount itself and also by the pilgrims who went up to the Temple and required water for bathing and drinking”.

Left-leaning archaeologists attacked the Israel Antiquities Authority in light of the findings, claiming that the organization conducted the dig for political purposes, and in contrast with proper archaeological methods.

“Ancient structures cannot be dated properly when the excavation is not conducted using the stratigraphic method – from ground level, [straight] down,” said Yoni Mizrahi, an archaeologist from the organization “Emek Shaveh,” which unites archaeologists critical of the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Elad foundation.

“The tunnel digging method is a process from the 19th century, before archaeology was recnogzied as an academic discipline. This dig is meant to create a series of tunnels from the Palestinian village of Silwan, to the Western Wall Plaza, through to the Muslim Quarter. From what we understand, the antiquities authority has once again been harnessed with political objectives by right wing organizations, under the guise of archaeological activities,” continued Mizrahi.

By Nir Hasson Haaretz – September 6, 2012

NEOLITHIC RUINS AMONG YEAR’S JERUSALEM-‐AREA DISCOVERIES Sixth annual archeology conference showcases antiquities found as result of new construction.

The historical richness waiting just a few centimeters below the surface of the Jerusalem area is nothing new. Nevertheless, the annual review of the Israel Antiquities Authority’s new archeological discoveries in the Jerusalem region was breathtaking in its scope on Thursday, during the sixth annual Innovations in Archeology in Jerusalem and the Surrounding Area conference.

Co-sponsoring the conference were the National Parks Authority, the Jerusalem Development Authority and Hebrew University’s Institute of Archeology.

One of the central dilemmas of archeologists and the IAA is striking the right balance between preserving history and allowing new development for a growing population.

Many times, however, new development is the reason for archeological discoveries, a phenomenon that repeated itself often during the past year.

In order to secure the necessary construction permits from the Interior Ministry, public works projects need approval from the IAA. Preconstruction surveys during preparation for the expansion of Highway 1 around the Motza Interchange have yielded a plethora of new discoveries, including Iron Age buildings at Tel Motza, explained Dr. Doron Ben Ami, a chief researcher at the HU archeology institute. At the Motza Stream, archeologists discovered ruins dating back to the Neolithic period and an enormous underground water reservoir from the Crusaders.


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Pre-construction surveys of the Ramot highway have yielded discoveries of Roman terraces. And when baseball fans in Ramat Beit Shemesh decided to build a baseball field, they discovered a new field of dreams: Just a few centimeters below the surface, there were hundreds of clay pots and figurines.

Nearby, archeologists discovered an enormous burial ground from the Bronze Age. Even in the posh Jerusalem neighborhood of Rehavia, construction of fancy new apartments

can sometimes lead to the most startling archeological discoveries. A 6-meter-high column was unearthed during construction of a new apartment building on the leafy neighborhood’s Abarbanel Street, leading scholars to believe it could have been a Byzantineera quarry. The column was mostly likely destined for one the magnificent cathedrals of the era before it cracked and became dangerous to move.

At the start of the conference, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat addressed the challenges and importance of the capital’s archeological discoveries.

“A picture is worth 1,000 words,” he told the packed room of archeology scholars. “If we want to prove our right to be here and our history here, there is no better way than to

market our archeology.” Barkat noted that Jerusalem, especially the Old City and the archeological and political hot

spots surrounding the Temple Mount, needed “extra consideration and carefulness” during digs and research. The First and Second Temple-period drainage tunnels that stretch beneath the Western Wall Plaza toward the City of David are a perfect example of how an amazing discovery needs to be presented to the public with care so as not to be spun into a political move.

The tunnels will only gradually be opened to the public. “[The tunnels] show us that we need to market such a dramatic discovery gently and

correctly so that it won’t in the end cause, heaven forbid, riots around the world,” he said.

By Melanie Liman The Jerusalem Post – October 18, 2012

ISRAEL, JORDAN TAKING STEPS TO CLEAN UP JORDAN RIVER WATER Friends of the Earth-Middle East, consisting of Israelis, Jordanians and Palestinians, has successfully pressured their governments into acting to save the river.

The water of the Jordan River, debilitated by waste and intensely utilized for agriculture, may finally become cleaner thanks to steps now being taken by the governments of Israel and Jordan.

The Environmental Protection Ministry and the Ministry for the Development of the Negev and Galilee are expected within weeks to submit a plan to the cabinet to allocate NIS 99 million to that very goal.

There has recently been a breakthrough in terms of regional cooperation on improving the Jordan's water, according to Gidon Bromberg, director of Friends of the Earth-Middle East. The group, consisting of Israelis, Jordanians and Palestinians, has successfully pressured their governments into acting to save the river.

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Only 4 percent of the amount of water that flowed through the southern Jordan River 80 years ago still flows through it after Israel built a dam to hold back Kinneret water to benefit the National Water Carrier. Jordan and Syria, for their part, have built dams in recent years on the Yarmouk River, the Jordan's main tributary.

Waste flows into the river from nearby communities and farms on both the Israeli and the Jordanian sides. A channel carrying saline water from springs in the Kinneret lake bed also leads to the Jordan. As a result, the Jordan has become polluted and sometimes has run nearly dry. This has damaged flora and fauna and threatens to ruin the traditional baptismal site of Kasr al-Yehud east of Jericho.

Initiatives to change this picture are coming from local bodies such as the Southern Jordan Drainage Authority and the Emek Hama'ayanot Regional Council in the Beit She'an area. These two agencies recently invited area residents to a public hearing where they presented their master plan for the river's rehabilitation.

"For the first time we are working to restore the river with government assistance in a way that will allow protection of nature and ecological corridors as well as the development of tourism in the area," says Ramon Ben-Ari, director general of the Southern Jordan Drainage Authority. Ben-Ari says they are trying to coordinate efforts with the Jordanians.

A waste treatment plant is set to go into operation next year near Bitaniya under the auspices of the Jordan Valley Regional Council, to purify waste from Tiberias that currently flows into the river and divert it for irrigation.

"The Jordanians are building a purification plant near Shuneh opposite Jericho with American funding, and the construction of another plant, funded by the Japanese, has already been decided on," Bromberg says.

However, environmental groups are concerned that the diversion of wastewater from the river will improve water quality but reduce its quantity. The Water Authority has pledged it will replace the waste water with 30 million cubic meters of water, some from the Kinneret, although final approval for this plan has not yet come through.

Rehabilitation of the southern Jordan River, which is beyond the Green Line, depends on cooperation with the Palestinian Authority, which is demanding recognition of its rights over this


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part of the river. Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan has expressed willingness to cooperate with the PA but so far there has been no real progress. Israel already uses a great deal of water in the area for farming in settlements, which the Palestinians do not recognize.

Bromberg says Friends of the Earth-Middle East wants to prepare its own master plan including the part of the river over the Green Line. "The master plan will analyze the current situation but there will also be a vision we propose for rehabilitation of the river that in the future the settlements will not be here."

By Zafrir Rinat Haaretz – October 2, 2012

POPULATION NEARS 8 MILLION AHEAD OF ROSH HASHANA CBS statistics mark Israel's population at 7,933,200, of which 75.36% are Jewish, 20.62% are Arab and 4% are "other."

Israel's population approached the eight million mark nearing Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, according to a report released Wednesday by the Central Bureau of Statistics.

Israel's population stands at 7,933,200, of which 5,978,600 (75.36%) are Jewish, 1,636,600 (20.62%) are Arabs- including Beduins and Druse, and approximately 318,000 (4%) are "other" - including non-Jews who have one Jewish grandparent and non-Arab Christians.

Israel's various population sectors continued to grow at vastly different rates in 2011; the Jewish population grew 1.8% while the Arab population grew at 2.4%. The Jewish growth rate remained largely steady in relation to recent years, while the Arab growth rate, still markedly higher than that of the Jewish population, continued a trend of rapid decline since 1996-2000 when the population was growing at a rate of 3.4%.

Israel remains young relative to other Western countries, boasting a far higher number of children (aged 0-14) per capita at 28.2% than the OECD average (18.5%.) However, the median age is aging, albeit slowly, with the number of people aged 75 and above reaching 4.8% from 3.8% in the early 1990s.

In terms of geographic distribution, the bulk of Israel's population continues to reside in the country's Center (40%,) including 48.7% of the country's Jewish population. The trend, however, is decreasing slightly as the population is slowly drifting towards the country's periphery. The Arab population remains heavily concentrated in northern Israel, where 60% of Arabs reside, primarily in the Galilee and Haifa areas.

Efforts to promote aliya to Israel continued to reap rewards, as the country welcomed 16,892 new immigrants in 2011, approximately 1.5% more than in the 2010. Most of the migrants were from Russia (3,678,) Ethiopia (2,666,) the US (2,363,) Ukraine (2,051) and France (1,775.)

By Yoni Dayan The Jerusalem Post – September 9, 2012

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Statistics for the Catholic Church in Lebanon .................................................................................................... 2 Benedict XVI in Lebanon, pilgrimage of peace ................................................................................................. 2 Ecclesia in medio oriente: Ratzinger's "Road Map" for Middle East Churches ............................................... 3 War and peace in Lebanon after the Pope’s visit ............................................................................................... 5 Pope to distribute Arabic-language youcat in Lebanon ...................................................................................... 6 "Faithful, do not leave Syria!": Patriarchs’ message, rallied around the Pope ................................................... 7 Pope benedict XVI includes Arabic language to general audience .................................................................... 8 More graffiti sprayed on door of Franciscan friary in Jerusalem ...................................................................... 8 Cardinal Martini: from Jerusalem to the Heavenly Jerusalem ......................................................................... 10 Armenian Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Torkom Manougian II dies ......................................................... 11 Commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Baby Caritas hospital in Bethlehem. .................................... 12 Tantur: celebrating 40 years of activity in the Holy Land ................................................................................ 13 The “Eucharistic Symphony” by fra Armando Pierucci... ................................................................................ 14 The olive trees of Gethsemane, results of a scientific research published ....................................................... 15 Olive harvest, amidst joy and pain ................................................................................................................... 17 Bethlehem and UNESCO playing by the rules ................................................................................................. 18 Year of Faith officially opens in Deir Rafat ..................................................................................................... 19 Latin Patriarchate will celebrate easter 2013 according to the Julian Calendar ............................................... 21 East Jerusalem, the Capital of dropouts ............................................................................................................ 22 Panel on IDF, national service for christians riles Israeli Arab community ..................................................... 25 Israeli archaeologists uncover 3,000-year-old cistern in Jerusalem ................................................................ 27 Neolithic ruins among year’s Jerusalem-area discoveries ................................................................................ 28 Israel, Jordan taking steps to clean up Jordan river water ................................................................................ 29 Population nears 8 million ahead of Rosh Hashana ......................................................................................... 31

To Our Readers: While the editor tries to exercise best judgment in the choice of items to report or reproduce in the bulletin, responsibility for the contents of items taken from other sources remains with the original authors or publishers.

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