Holy Land Councillor News

After two years of of diminished celebration and lighting due to the ongoing conflict, Manger Square has now been fully-decked with its traditional Christmas lights, and the magnificent tree has been lit. Please take a moment to enjoy this article which recaps and celebrates with wonderful photographic detail the festive activities which have unfolded in

Continuing a centuries-old tradition, the Custos of the Holy Land accompanied the local community of Bethlehem in a joyful procession to the Basilica of the Nativity to mark the eve of the first Sunday of Advent. After addressing the crowd in attendance, the Franciscans prayed vespers, and the Custos led the procession to Grotto of

On October 15, H.E. Cardinal Pizzaballa stepped into the Vatican Radio studios for an interview about the past, present and future of the Church and the Faithful in Gaza and the Holy Land. “There is still much to do. The situation remains dramatic because everything is destroyed. People are returning, but they are returning to

In the early 13th century, amidst the fervor of the Fifth Crusade, a humble friar named Francis of Assisi set sail for the Holy Land, a region sacred to Christians, Muslims, and Jews, at that time torn by conflict. Born in 1181 or 1182 in the Italian town of Assisi, Francis had already renounced wealth

Despite the challenges and difficult circumstances, the youth movements of the Holy Land organized their summer camps for 2025, affirming that hope is unconquerable. In the Diocese of Jerusalem, a variety of spiritual and educational activities brought together hundreds of young people on a journey of faith, love, and renewal — reaffirming that youth are

Beneath the incense-filled vaults of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the most intricate and profound archaeological operations in the Holy Land is unfolding. What began in 2022 as a restoration project for the church’s deteriorating floor has become a journey into the deep layers of sacred history. Photo credit: LPJ.org and Custodia