The Fifth International Congress of the Commissaries of the Holy Land concluded today, November 25.
Ambassadors of Peace, capable of listening, supporting and announcing the Holy Land.
This is the summary of this week of work, meetings, exchanges, discoveries, dialogue, of discovering the Holy Land for the Franciscan friars of the Custody, both commissaries and non commissaries.
From the very first day the topics addressed were many: the difficulties of the Holy Land, of the Christian population, the challenges for the future and the present, how to announce the Holy Land and how to support the Custody and its mission. Listening to the testimonies of people, of those who manage projects, of those who live beside the people, of those who choose to give their life, for those who choose to walk beside the people. Not out of a sense of power, but out of an evangelical and missionary spirit, out of a sense of belonging to a community, to the Church, at the service of the poor and the least.
At the first light of dawn, the commissaries of the Holy Land and the friars of the Custody went to the Holy Sepulchre for the Eucharistic celebration, presided over by the custos, Fr. Francesco Ielpo.
In his homily, the custos addressed those present with a strong and timely invitation: to allow themselves to be reached by the gaze of the Risen One in order to become, in turn, witnesses of hope.
Entering the Holy Sepulchre means finding oneself before a paradox, a place that holds an absence. "We do not celebrate a memory, but an event that continues", Fr. Francesco recalled, emphasizing how Christian faith is not born from a monument, but from an encounter that transfigures life.
The rolled stone thus becomes a symbol of all that God opens, frees, renews. It is here that the victory of life over death is not a theological concept, but a reality that still beats today.
Referring to the Letter to the Colossians, the homily placed at the center the profound meaning of the "things that are above". Not an escape from the world, but a different lens through which to interpret it. They are the gaze and the logic of Christ Risen: mercy, reconciliation, new life.
In the Holy Land, this perspective becomes concrete. The stone of the Sepulchre, which once closed life, today proclaims openness and hope. Here we discover that the "things that are above" are visible, tangible, real: the light that overcomes darkness, the love that does not give up, the peace that surpasses fear.
The role of the Commissaries of the Holy Land was described as a "bridge mission": keeping alive, in their own countries, the bond between Christian communities and the Holy Places. They remind the Church that faith is not founded on resignation, but on the Resurrection, not on fear, but on hope.
Every time they support the Christians of this region, every time they recount the roots of the faith, they become "echo of the empty tomb", bearers of a light that burns here without interruption.
In the Gospel, the Risen Lord does not invite the disciples to remain at the Sepulchre, but to return to Galilee, the place of beginnings. It is surprising: the heart of faith does not hold back, but sends forth.
So it is also for the commissaries, called to return to their own "Galilees": the communities, the friaries, the cities where each day the Gospel takes shape in concrete life.
The Risen One precedes them precisely there, where daily life risks extinguishing enthusiasm. And it is there that He continues to repeat: "Follow me".
Between the place of the Resurrection and the whole world there exists a deep bond. Without this bond, faith risks being reduced to theory. With it, instead, it remains alive, rooted, incarnate.
The Holy Sepulchre is the source, the territories where the commissaries work are the continuation. From here the mission is born, from here the strength is born, from here the proclamation is born.
The last moment of listening took place upon returning to the Immacolata Hall with the report of Dr. Francesca Romana Stasolla, professor and researcher at the University "La Sapienza" of Rome.
The Doctor coordinated the team that in recent years carried out the excavation, restoration and paving works of the Holy Sepulchre, particularly in the area around the Aedicule.
The Doctor offered the commissaries a complete overview of the excavations, the discoveries, the challenges faced, the richness of having worked together with the Custody and the other Churches in respect of the Status Quo.
The report will then be published, together with the scientific publications, at the end of the works and upon reaching the objectives set for the project.
Fr. Matteo Brena, President of the Organizing Committee, inaugurated the work of the assembly by offering an in-depth account of the activities carried out in the various working groups in which the commissaries engaged during the days. His intervention initiated a path of shared reflection, aimed at reinvigorating the mission of the Commissaries of the Holy Land in light of current challenges and the needs of local Christian communities.
At the center of the dialogue, two fundamental questions guided the common reflection:
From these questions developed a rich exchange articulated into four major themes: dialogue and sharing, witness and proclamation, resilience and solidarity, mission and communion.
Dialogue was recognized as one of the fundamental dimensions of the mission of the Custody of the Holy Land. A dialogue that is born from authentic listening and empathy toward local Christian communities, and that must continue to inspire the relationship between the Custody and the Provinces of the Order, as well as the relationship with the other religions present in the Holy Places.
This openness fosters true sharing, making it possible to transform reality through concrete gestures of fraternity. A task that commissaries are called to transmit also to pilgrims, so that pilgrimage may become a living experience of encounter and not simply a religious visit.
Reflection then moved to the role of the commissary as witness and herald. Authentic faith, in fact, accompanies processes of growth and conversion, and cannot be separated from Christian witness and from a creative and life-giving proclamation.
This twofold dimension of witnessing concerns both the territory in which the commissary operates daily and the pilgrimage, which is not religious tourism, but an encounter that leaves a mark on the hearts of the faithful.
In a complex context like that of the Holy Land, commissaries are called to become proactive witnesses of the resilience of faith in small Christian communities that often live in difficult conditions.
Supporting the social and educational works of the Custody, promoting the encounter between pilgrims and local communities and keeping communion in Christ at the center represent the pillars of concrete solidarity, capable of building bonds between the local Church and the universal Church.
The mission of the commissary is born from listening to the Living Stones, that is, the Christians of the Holy Land, and to the local Church. From this listening arises the ability to understand reality and to become spokespersons, with gratitude and responsibility, of the history safeguarded by the Friars Minor for over eight centuries.
Commissaries are called to be witnesses of hope, promoting initiatives of solidarity and paths of formation that strengthen the bond between the Holy Land and the faithful of the whole world.
The day of work opened by Fr. Matteo Brena confirmed how the mission of the Commissaries of the Holy Land is alive, dynamic and deeply rooted in ecclesial communion. Through dialogue, witness, solidarity and listening to local communities, commissaries continue to be a precious bridge between the Holy Land and the universal Church.
A demanding and at the same time hope-filled task, which continues to renew itself day after day in service to the Holy Places and to the Living Stones who inhabit them.
The final event of the congress saw the Custos of the Holy Land take the stage to deliver his concluding address and to give his mandate to the commissaries. (Full document)
The custos shared words of profound gratitude for all those who, coming from different parts of the world, chose to be present despite the short time available and the difficulties linked to recent tensions in the region. He first wished to remember with affection Fr. Silvio De La Fuente, the one who conceived the path that led to this Congress, a ministry lived with farsightedness and love, today overshadowed by illness, but still luminous in the memory of all.
Around the commissaries gathered the gratitude of the Custody: from the organizers who worked with dedication, to the communities that hosted, to the Christian Media Center that accompanied the proceedings. The custos openly expressed his appreciation, recognizing in this meeting not only a technical assembly, but a true moment of ecclesial communion.
Entering into the heart of the contents, Fr. Ielpo led those present to a profound rereading of the mission of the Commissary of the Holy Land. Not an administrative assignment, not an accessory function, but an authentic vocation, placed at the heart of the Church and rooted in the more than eight centuries of Franciscan presence in the Holy Places.
In this sense, he explained, the commissary is:
Fr. Ielpo stressed that this identity requires listening, balance, relational skills and above all a profound familiarity with the Gospel and with Franciscan history.
The Congress dedicated ample space to the theme of dialogue. In continuity with the tradition of the Order, the custos recounted how the friars live daily a simple and concrete encounter with Christians of different confessions, with Jews, with Muslims, with pilgrims and with cultural realities very different from one another.
It is not a programmed dialogue, he explained, nor a diplomatic operation: it is born from presence, from gentleness, from humble closeness. It is a dialogue made of open doors, not of words.
Taking up this line, Fr. Ielpo invited the commissaries to let themselves be inspired by this Franciscan style in their own territories: in the encounter with local Churches, in their relationship with pilgrims, in cultural and social collaborations. The Holy Land, he said, is not a place to "visit", but a communion to guard and to make grow.
Mandate
From this awareness arose the exhortation to "return" to the Holy Land: to pause, to listen, to share the life of the friars and of the local communities. To support this journey, the Custody is committed to expanding the formation paths intended for guides and leaders of pilgrimages.
Shifting the gaze to pilgrimage, the custos recalled that those who arrive in the Holy Land should not return as they came. Pilgrimage, he observed, is not a simple devotional act or a form of religious tourism, but an inner passage that involves mind, heart and spirit. The commissary has the task of safeguarding and facilitating this transforming experience.
Fr. Ielpo went on to explain that the recent conflict has changed not only the Holy Land, but also the perception and expectations of pilgrims. For this reason a more attentive accompaniment is necessary, capable of avoiding simplifications and polarizations. The mission is not to fuel hostility or factions, but to offer a Gospel perspective, capable of reading the complexity of the Holy Land without creating "enemies".
Mandate
Commissaries are therefore encouraged to be educators of peace: to propose balanced interpretations, to accompany pilgrims toward an authentic encounter and to keep the memory of the Holy Places alive in the territories.
One of the most intense passages of the message concerned the situation of the local Christian communities. The custos described with realism their fragility: wars, economic crises, emigration. But he also highlighted their inner strength, their resilience, their ability not to extinguish the witness of the Gospel.
In this context, solidarity is not an occasionally requested gesture, but a permanent trait of the mission of the commissaries.
Fr. Ielpo strongly recalled the value of the Good Friday Collection, a historical and fundamental instrument to support the Holy Land. He reiterated the need to promote it with seriousness, transparency and responsibility.
Mandate
The Custody will provide updated materials for its dissemination, furthermore, the directive is clear: the commissaries must not support private or isolated initiatives not approved by the custos, so as to preserve unity, sharing and correctness.
Looking to the future, the custos outlined a horizon founded on listening to the "Living Stones" – families, young people, workers, wounded communities – and on the living memory safeguarded by the friars for more than eight centuries.
The commissary is called to be an authoritative voice of the Holy Land, a promoter of pastoral and social initiatives, a builder of bridges.
Fr. Ielpo illustrated the desire to develop in the coming years regional conferences of the Commissariats, beginning with the Far East and Asia, then continuing in Africa and in other regions of the world. The goal is to strengthen communion, to support formation and to generate a more cohesive network.
In his final words, the custos invited all to set out again from Jerusalem as ambassadors of peace, servants of communion, custodians of hope and heralds of the Gospel of the Resurrection.
He recalled that the mission of the commissaries is never solitary: Christ Risen goes before every step, accompanies every service and supports every effort.
Fr. Ielpo, in his last reflections, encouraged everyone to keep alive the choice to listen to, announce and support the Holy Land, so that the Gospel born in this land may continue to enlighten peoples and nations.
At the end of the work and at the official closing of the Congress of the Commissaries of the Holy Land, the friars gathered in the Church of San Salvatore, together with the community of the friary, for Vespers, presided over by the custos and the guardian of the friary, Fr. Rodrigo Machado.
At the end of the prayer the custos handed to each commissary the pin with the Jerusalem cross, symbol of the commissaries, of the Custody and of the Franciscan presence in the Holy Land, as well as the flag that each commissary will use as a sign of recognition for the pilgrims who, we hope, will soon return accompanied precisely by the commissaries, moved by a new light and a new hope at the end of this Congress.
Francesco Guaraldi
