On Sunday 28th November, Bethlehem, like every city in the world, is preparing to enter the time of Advent. However, as the whole world will be looking to Bethlehem on Christmas Day, this city celebrates the event with the solemn entrance of the Custos of the Holy Land, Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa. According to a timetable which is so inflexible that it is like the Status Quo, the Custos must arrive in Manger Square at 11.30 a.m..
It is 8.30 a.m. and everybody is getting ready. The Israelis, who will have to open the old Route of the Patriarchs before the motorcade arriving from Jerusalem, check that the three heavy steel gates that they will open for the occasion are in good working order. Three or four years ago, one of them was blocked in front of the Patriarch Sabbah when he entered on 24th December. It did not budge and it took a good half-hour before the gate could be opened.
On the other side, the Palestinian police are taking up their positions. In the shade, and at this hour it is still chilly, but the day will unfold under a pleasant but exasperating sun, as there has not been any rain in the country yet and the temperatures continue to be around 25 degrees.
There is more protocol on Manger Square, as the order of the cars from Beit Jalla, Beit Sahur and Bethlehem in their procession to meet the Custos, from the other side of the “security fence” is organized. The monastery of Mar Elias marks the official entrance for the whole procession. The politicalevents have shuffled the cards to the extent that it takes the solemn entrances of the Custos and of the Patriarchs to be able to see, four times a year, these cars with white number-plates and green letters and numbers, pass in front of Rachel’s Tomb and leave the West Bank, and then return. In all, with the cars from Jerusalem, about one hundred vehicles slowly cross the city in step with the scouts who parade between the Catholic Action and the Town Hall Square. Father Ibrahim Faltas, who regulates all the events regarding the Status Quo of Bethlehem, is satisfied with how they are taking place.
11.35 a.m.. The parish priest, the Franciscan Marwan Di’des, opens the door of the car of the Custos. He welcomes him and introduces him to the civil authorities and, with him, crosses Manger Square to enter the Basilica and greet the superior of the Greek Orthodox. Going through the cloister of St. Jerome, the Custos enters the church of St. Catherine where he is greeted by the new guardian of the convent, Friar Stéphane Milovich.
Te Deum, Vespers and the office of readings are the times of prayer that would have marked the day in a church where there have been some changes due to the feast of St. Catherine, the saint’s day of the parish. St. Catherine and St. Anthony have permeated their places. The statue of St. Anthony was moved to the back of the church, looking towards the choir and gave, or rather returned, the altar to St. Catherine. The place where the parish Masses are celebrated in the morning, usually the altar of St. Anthony, is on the exact spot of the first chapel dedicated to the patron saint of the parish. This was at the time the only parish church. It dated back to the times of the Crusades and became the sacristy of the present-day church of St. Catherine, built in the 1880s. It was incorporated with a lateral nave when the church was enlarged in 2000.
When the Franciscan friars leave the church, the first Advent candle continues to shine under the altar. The Custos had lit it from the flame that he took on the altar of the Nativity. It is before this lit candle that the parishioners gathered, on Sunday 28th November, for their parish feast-day during the Sunday Mass. The Custos remained for the occasion and he presided the joyous celebration of prayer.
As the good pedagogue that he is – he is also Director of the Terra Sancta School – the parish priest, Father Marwan, distributed to all the assembly at the start of the homily a sheet with six images, representing six stages in life, with this title: “When do we have the time to think of the Lord? He explained each image. When we are children? We are too young to understand. Adolescents and young people? Too self-confident to need a Saviour. As young adults? Too tired by work? In our maturity? Too busy with our careers? In the grave? It’s too late!” He concluded that not only must we begin from an early age to give time to the Lord, and not only during prayer, but in the heart of our daily activities.
The Mass came to an end with the solemn blessing by the Custos in front of the altar decorated in honour of St. Catherine and the whole assembly was then able to greet Father Pierbattista in the parish hall where the Custos encouraged them, in the difficulties, not to doubt the imminent coming – which has already taken place. “He is already in our midst.”
When this solemn celebration was over, the parishioners joined the inhabitants of the city thronging the Christmas market in Town Hall Square, and under a scorching sun, Father Christmases sing and dance Christmas carols from all over the world, with the well known difference that they are in Arabic.
When the Custos sets off again in procession, preceded by the Palestinian police, along the same road he came on, the celebration is over. It is now time to intensely live the period of the Advent which has got off to such a good start.
MAB
It is 8.30 a.m. and everybody is getting ready. The Israelis, who will have to open the old Route of the Patriarchs before the motorcade arriving from Jerusalem, check that the three heavy steel gates that they will open for the occasion are in good working order. Three or four years ago, one of them was blocked in front of the Patriarch Sabbah when he entered on 24th December. It did not budge and it took a good half-hour before the gate could be opened.
On the other side, the Palestinian police are taking up their positions. In the shade, and at this hour it is still chilly, but the day will unfold under a pleasant but exasperating sun, as there has not been any rain in the country yet and the temperatures continue to be around 25 degrees.
There is more protocol on Manger Square, as the order of the cars from Beit Jalla, Beit Sahur and Bethlehem in their procession to meet the Custos, from the other side of the “security fence” is organized. The monastery of Mar Elias marks the official entrance for the whole procession. The politicalevents have shuffled the cards to the extent that it takes the solemn entrances of the Custos and of the Patriarchs to be able to see, four times a year, these cars with white number-plates and green letters and numbers, pass in front of Rachel’s Tomb and leave the West Bank, and then return. In all, with the cars from Jerusalem, about one hundred vehicles slowly cross the city in step with the scouts who parade between the Catholic Action and the Town Hall Square. Father Ibrahim Faltas, who regulates all the events regarding the Status Quo of Bethlehem, is satisfied with how they are taking place.
11.35 a.m.. The parish priest, the Franciscan Marwan Di’des, opens the door of the car of the Custos. He welcomes him and introduces him to the civil authorities and, with him, crosses Manger Square to enter the Basilica and greet the superior of the Greek Orthodox. Going through the cloister of St. Jerome, the Custos enters the church of St. Catherine where he is greeted by the new guardian of the convent, Friar Stéphane Milovich.
Te Deum, Vespers and the office of readings are the times of prayer that would have marked the day in a church where there have been some changes due to the feast of St. Catherine, the saint’s day of the parish. St. Catherine and St. Anthony have permeated their places. The statue of St. Anthony was moved to the back of the church, looking towards the choir and gave, or rather returned, the altar to St. Catherine. The place where the parish Masses are celebrated in the morning, usually the altar of St. Anthony, is on the exact spot of the first chapel dedicated to the patron saint of the parish. This was at the time the only parish church. It dated back to the times of the Crusades and became the sacristy of the present-day church of St. Catherine, built in the 1880s. It was incorporated with a lateral nave when the church was enlarged in 2000.
When the Franciscan friars leave the church, the first Advent candle continues to shine under the altar. The Custos had lit it from the flame that he took on the altar of the Nativity. It is before this lit candle that the parishioners gathered, on Sunday 28th November, for their parish feast-day during the Sunday Mass. The Custos remained for the occasion and he presided the joyous celebration of prayer.
As the good pedagogue that he is – he is also Director of the Terra Sancta School – the parish priest, Father Marwan, distributed to all the assembly at the start of the homily a sheet with six images, representing six stages in life, with this title: “When do we have the time to think of the Lord? He explained each image. When we are children? We are too young to understand. Adolescents and young people? Too self-confident to need a Saviour. As young adults? Too tired by work? In our maturity? Too busy with our careers? In the grave? It’s too late!” He concluded that not only must we begin from an early age to give time to the Lord, and not only during prayer, but in the heart of our daily activities.
The Mass came to an end with the solemn blessing by the Custos in front of the altar decorated in honour of St. Catherine and the whole assembly was then able to greet Father Pierbattista in the parish hall where the Custos encouraged them, in the difficulties, not to doubt the imminent coming – which has already taken place. “He is already in our midst.”
When this solemn celebration was over, the parishioners joined the inhabitants of the city thronging the Christmas market in Town Hall Square, and under a scorching sun, Father Christmases sing and dance Christmas carols from all over the world, with the well known difference that they are in Arabic.
When the Custos sets off again in procession, preceded by the Palestinian police, along the same road he came on, the celebration is over. It is now time to intensely live the period of the Advent which has got off to such a good start.
MAB