On Sunday 22nd March in Bethlehem, all the teachers, heads and personnel of the schools of the Custody of the Holy Land met for one day of study and exchange on the subject of Catholic education in these schools, called the Schools of the Holy Land.
Getting ready to welcome the protagonists of this day, Fr. Marwan Di’Des, head of the school of the Holy Land for the children of Bethlehem, where the various preparatory meetings were held, said:
“This day is very important, and will be developed in three directions: in the first place, we will try to bring out new ideas for a further development of the schools of the Holy Land. In the second place, we will unify the methodology along general lines, as well the work in the schools of the Holy Land, always respecting the specificity of each school and each city. Lastly, it will be an opportunity to bring together all the personnel of the schools of the Holy Land, which cover the whole country, from north to south.”
It was also an opportunity to meet the Custos and hear a lecture by Father Jamal Khader, from the Latin Patriarchate and professor at the Catholic University of Bethlehem and at the Latin Seminary of Beit Jalla. The lecture was on academic life and pedagogy in Christian schools, and in particular in the schools of the Holy Land.
In the Holy Land in the strict sense (Israel and Palestine), the Custody’s schools are distributed as follows: in Israel, there are schools in Jaffa, Akko, Nazareth and Ramleh, and in the Palestinian territories there are two in Bethlehem (one for boys and one for girls), one in Jericho and in Jerusalem there are two girls’ schools and one for boys. All the schools have pupils of the different Christian confessions and Muslim pupils in varying percentages according to the city. A total of about 7000 pupils attend the schools.
The day opened with Sunday Mass in the chapel called “the Crusaders’ Chapel” in Bethlehem and then continued, after a welcome, with a meeting with the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa.
In his speech, the Custos reminded the audience that the presence of the Franciscans in the Holy Land has its inspiration in the important encounter between St. Francis and Sultan Al-Malik Al-Kamil. At a turbulent time such as the period of the Crusades, St. Francis wanted to experience dialogue and encounter. The role of the Custody is to preserve the Holy Places, but in a different way with respect to museums, as the need to protect these places comes from the fact that Christ was incarnated here. Thus, protecting the “stones of the memory” is closely linked with supporting the “living stones”, the Christians, who keep the memory of our faith alive: in fact, the majority of the Holy Places are also parishes. The role of the Franciscans consists of reconciling these two dimensions, that of memory and that of the faith.
In their desire to be at the service of the local communities, the first work of the Franciscans was to open school. The first schools created in the Middle East were the Franciscan schools and the first in absolute was precisely the Bethlehem one. The archives of the Custody show that this school was already in existence in 1595.
The schools of the period were opened for the Catholics; in the context of the time, they could be used to “conquer” the souls of other Churches. But, from the mid- 18th century, the prevailing idea of the Franciscans was that the schools had to respectChristians in their diversity. Their doors were thus opened to non-Catholics, without trying to convert them, but in the respect of their identity. This choice was made at a time when ecumenical dialogue was not at all an item on the agenda of the Church. However, in the light of their life here, the Franciscans thought that this was what they should experience and bring to life.
It was the same spirit that led them in 1809, exactly 200 years ago, to open up their schools to non-Christian pupils and therefore, in the context of the time, to Muslims.
According to the Custos, the writings of the period deserve to be published, as they are still very topical. They specify that in the schools of the Custody, Islam and its symbols are to be respected and that nothing should be asked of the pupils except to respect the school rules. The headmasters and the teachers were also asked never to provoke our “Muslim brothers”.
It was again the Custody which, with the help of the nuns of St. Joseph of the Apparition, opened the girls’ schools, when schooling for girls was not even widespread in Europe. In the Middle East, the first girls’ school was opened in Jerusalem in 1848.
“Today," the Custos said, “the situation has greatly changed and the schools of the Holy Land are no longer the only schools in the country. But what remains is the conviction that we are all children of the same father; this is certainly the most concrete sign of our specificity. And this must not remain theoretical: if we really feel that God is our Father and that we are all His children, then,” the Custos continued, “we will also experience that we are brothers and sisters, and that we can really live as such. Teachers and pupils alike should be aware that we are all, before God, like His children. It is fundamental, in the Custody’s schools, not to make distinctions between pupils or between teachers. The awareness of this equality before God and the experience of tolerance must be the characteristics of our schools.“
Having to take leave of the meeting, the Custos concluded with these words: “If we Franciscans are the owners of the schools, you make them live. This shows the importance of this meeting which brings you all together and I want to thank you one by one for your presence. This day will allow you to exchange your experiences but also to share your ideas, to examine in closer depth the projects of our schools and to think about their future together.”
After having answered some questions, the Custos then gave the floor to Father Jamal Khader.
According to Father Jamal, what characterizes Christian schools is the spirit on which the whole of the scholastic community is based: the pupils, the teachers and the administrative personnel. This spirit tries to privilege an "all-round" education. Academic education is very important, but so is religious and ethical education. The aim is to train man as a whole; in his intelligence, his heart, his faith and in his relations with others. After this comes the question of the means to succeed in identifying this spirit, and to help the teachers maintain and develop it.
Father Jamal, in his words, also wanted to underline the values of a Christian school: human life and human dignity, honesty, loyalty, transparency, welcoming all, in the respect of otherness and differences, which may be religious, social, economic etc.. He also insisted on solidarity, especially towards the less fortunate, and on the fundamental role of the teachers who can act as an example for their pupils. He thus invited the teachers to help their pupils build up a critical spirit and a capacity of discernment.
Schools are also a place, according to Father Jamal, to educate on the beauty and goodness of man and this goodness, in the school, finds room to develop.
“In the current situation of the country," Father Jamal revealed at the end of his lecture, "the values of Christian schools are even more important than in the past. Our schools have to be schools of peace, of education for peace, schools of encounter and capable of encouraging openness towards others.”
He then added that the situation of the country, but also the numerous and rapid changes that are taking place in the social and cultural field, mean that schools have to find, here and now, the means to face up to these new challenges. The teachers are fully aware of these challenges, but are always in search of practical and concrete means to meet them.
For this reason, to exchange opinions on the appropriate means and tools that can transmit these values in present-day society, the participants then formed work groups of 20 people each, occupying the various classrooms.
Later, all together again, they were able to share the ideas and suggestions that emerged from the groups.
The day came to an end with an assignment for the teachers: they had to write down on a piece of paper what they believed in for the schools. Fr. Abdel Masih, responsible for all the Custody’s schools, promised that the results of this work would then be distributed to the schools.
Some participants, at the start of the day, had expressed some doubts: “How can we work well if there are so many of us?” The quality of the organization, done in great advance and in which every school was involved, soon quelled any concerns and everybody said they were satisfied with the day, which they found useful and encouraging for the future.
“The great challenge," stressed Fr.Abdel Masih, "is the ethic that we have to transmit to each pupil. We have to help each one of them build up a conscience of their own. The spirit of St. Francis is a spirit very close to man and which addresses man. St. Francis teaches us to look at the good that there is in each man, in his nature, committing ourselves in soceity and being the means through which the design of the Lord for our lives is reflected.”
Fr. Abdel Masih, questioned on the situation of the schools of the Holy Land in the present situation, answered: “I would like to underline first of all that with the other Christian schools in the coountry, we have a clear relationship and that we work with the office of Catholic schools and, in the two situations, with the Ministries of Education. In Israel and in Palestine, we encounter difficulties with these ministries due to our status, but we have a constant dialogue with them in order to find solutions.”Speaking about the difficulties encountered, Fr. Abdel Masih mentions, for Palestine, the new rules, for example, that lay down that the headmaster of a school must be Palestinian, that make accounting for the school’s finances to the Ministry of Education compulsory or that grant a temporary licence to the schools whilst before they were permanent. “These are only examples. In Israel, one of the difficulties that we encounter with the ministry is due to the fact that our schools belong to the category of schools that are "recognized but not official", thus depriving us of any state aid. This is also just one of the many examples.
At present," continued Fr. Abdel Masih, "we feel the effects of the worldwide economic recession, especially in Palestine, where almost all the running costs of the schools are borne by the Custody. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our donors, who contribute to this effort from all over the world."
What is Fr. Abdel Masih’s wish for the schools? It can be summed up in the concise Franciscan expression “Peace and Good for all our schools.”
Marie-Armelle Beaulieu
Getting ready to welcome the protagonists of this day, Fr. Marwan Di’Des, head of the school of the Holy Land for the children of Bethlehem, where the various preparatory meetings were held, said:
“This day is very important, and will be developed in three directions: in the first place, we will try to bring out new ideas for a further development of the schools of the Holy Land. In the second place, we will unify the methodology along general lines, as well the work in the schools of the Holy Land, always respecting the specificity of each school and each city. Lastly, it will be an opportunity to bring together all the personnel of the schools of the Holy Land, which cover the whole country, from north to south.”
It was also an opportunity to meet the Custos and hear a lecture by Father Jamal Khader, from the Latin Patriarchate and professor at the Catholic University of Bethlehem and at the Latin Seminary of Beit Jalla. The lecture was on academic life and pedagogy in Christian schools, and in particular in the schools of the Holy Land.
In the Holy Land in the strict sense (Israel and Palestine), the Custody’s schools are distributed as follows: in Israel, there are schools in Jaffa, Akko, Nazareth and Ramleh, and in the Palestinian territories there are two in Bethlehem (one for boys and one for girls), one in Jericho and in Jerusalem there are two girls’ schools and one for boys. All the schools have pupils of the different Christian confessions and Muslim pupils in varying percentages according to the city. A total of about 7000 pupils attend the schools.
The day opened with Sunday Mass in the chapel called “the Crusaders’ Chapel” in Bethlehem and then continued, after a welcome, with a meeting with the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa.
In his speech, the Custos reminded the audience that the presence of the Franciscans in the Holy Land has its inspiration in the important encounter between St. Francis and Sultan Al-Malik Al-Kamil. At a turbulent time such as the period of the Crusades, St. Francis wanted to experience dialogue and encounter. The role of the Custody is to preserve the Holy Places, but in a different way with respect to museums, as the need to protect these places comes from the fact that Christ was incarnated here. Thus, protecting the “stones of the memory” is closely linked with supporting the “living stones”, the Christians, who keep the memory of our faith alive: in fact, the majority of the Holy Places are also parishes. The role of the Franciscans consists of reconciling these two dimensions, that of memory and that of the faith.
In their desire to be at the service of the local communities, the first work of the Franciscans was to open school. The first schools created in the Middle East were the Franciscan schools and the first in absolute was precisely the Bethlehem one. The archives of the Custody show that this school was already in existence in 1595.
The schools of the period were opened for the Catholics; in the context of the time, they could be used to “conquer” the souls of other Churches. But, from the mid- 18th century, the prevailing idea of the Franciscans was that the schools had to respectChristians in their diversity. Their doors were thus opened to non-Catholics, without trying to convert them, but in the respect of their identity. This choice was made at a time when ecumenical dialogue was not at all an item on the agenda of the Church. However, in the light of their life here, the Franciscans thought that this was what they should experience and bring to life.
It was the same spirit that led them in 1809, exactly 200 years ago, to open up their schools to non-Christian pupils and therefore, in the context of the time, to Muslims.
According to the Custos, the writings of the period deserve to be published, as they are still very topical. They specify that in the schools of the Custody, Islam and its symbols are to be respected and that nothing should be asked of the pupils except to respect the school rules. The headmasters and the teachers were also asked never to provoke our “Muslim brothers”.
It was again the Custody which, with the help of the nuns of St. Joseph of the Apparition, opened the girls’ schools, when schooling for girls was not even widespread in Europe. In the Middle East, the first girls’ school was opened in Jerusalem in 1848.
“Today," the Custos said, “the situation has greatly changed and the schools of the Holy Land are no longer the only schools in the country. But what remains is the conviction that we are all children of the same father; this is certainly the most concrete sign of our specificity. And this must not remain theoretical: if we really feel that God is our Father and that we are all His children, then,” the Custos continued, “we will also experience that we are brothers and sisters, and that we can really live as such. Teachers and pupils alike should be aware that we are all, before God, like His children. It is fundamental, in the Custody’s schools, not to make distinctions between pupils or between teachers. The awareness of this equality before God and the experience of tolerance must be the characteristics of our schools.“
Having to take leave of the meeting, the Custos concluded with these words: “If we Franciscans are the owners of the schools, you make them live. This shows the importance of this meeting which brings you all together and I want to thank you one by one for your presence. This day will allow you to exchange your experiences but also to share your ideas, to examine in closer depth the projects of our schools and to think about their future together.”
After having answered some questions, the Custos then gave the floor to Father Jamal Khader.
According to Father Jamal, what characterizes Christian schools is the spirit on which the whole of the scholastic community is based: the pupils, the teachers and the administrative personnel. This spirit tries to privilege an "all-round" education. Academic education is very important, but so is religious and ethical education. The aim is to train man as a whole; in his intelligence, his heart, his faith and in his relations with others. After this comes the question of the means to succeed in identifying this spirit, and to help the teachers maintain and develop it.
Father Jamal, in his words, also wanted to underline the values of a Christian school: human life and human dignity, honesty, loyalty, transparency, welcoming all, in the respect of otherness and differences, which may be religious, social, economic etc.. He also insisted on solidarity, especially towards the less fortunate, and on the fundamental role of the teachers who can act as an example for their pupils. He thus invited the teachers to help their pupils build up a critical spirit and a capacity of discernment.
Schools are also a place, according to Father Jamal, to educate on the beauty and goodness of man and this goodness, in the school, finds room to develop.
“In the current situation of the country," Father Jamal revealed at the end of his lecture, "the values of Christian schools are even more important than in the past. Our schools have to be schools of peace, of education for peace, schools of encounter and capable of encouraging openness towards others.”
He then added that the situation of the country, but also the numerous and rapid changes that are taking place in the social and cultural field, mean that schools have to find, here and now, the means to face up to these new challenges. The teachers are fully aware of these challenges, but are always in search of practical and concrete means to meet them.
For this reason, to exchange opinions on the appropriate means and tools that can transmit these values in present-day society, the participants then formed work groups of 20 people each, occupying the various classrooms.
Later, all together again, they were able to share the ideas and suggestions that emerged from the groups.
The day came to an end with an assignment for the teachers: they had to write down on a piece of paper what they believed in for the schools. Fr. Abdel Masih, responsible for all the Custody’s schools, promised that the results of this work would then be distributed to the schools.
Some participants, at the start of the day, had expressed some doubts: “How can we work well if there are so many of us?” The quality of the organization, done in great advance and in which every school was involved, soon quelled any concerns and everybody said they were satisfied with the day, which they found useful and encouraging for the future.
“The great challenge," stressed Fr.Abdel Masih, "is the ethic that we have to transmit to each pupil. We have to help each one of them build up a conscience of their own. The spirit of St. Francis is a spirit very close to man and which addresses man. St. Francis teaches us to look at the good that there is in each man, in his nature, committing ourselves in soceity and being the means through which the design of the Lord for our lives is reflected.”
Fr. Abdel Masih, questioned on the situation of the schools of the Holy Land in the present situation, answered: “I would like to underline first of all that with the other Christian schools in the coountry, we have a clear relationship and that we work with the office of Catholic schools and, in the two situations, with the Ministries of Education. In Israel and in Palestine, we encounter difficulties with these ministries due to our status, but we have a constant dialogue with them in order to find solutions.”Speaking about the difficulties encountered, Fr. Abdel Masih mentions, for Palestine, the new rules, for example, that lay down that the headmaster of a school must be Palestinian, that make accounting for the school’s finances to the Ministry of Education compulsory or that grant a temporary licence to the schools whilst before they were permanent. “These are only examples. In Israel, one of the difficulties that we encounter with the ministry is due to the fact that our schools belong to the category of schools that are "recognized but not official", thus depriving us of any state aid. This is also just one of the many examples.
At present," continued Fr. Abdel Masih, "we feel the effects of the worldwide economic recession, especially in Palestine, where almost all the running costs of the schools are borne by the Custody. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our donors, who contribute to this effort from all over the world."
What is Fr. Abdel Masih’s wish for the schools? It can be summed up in the concise Franciscan expression “Peace and Good for all our schools.”
Marie-Armelle Beaulieu