On the feast of the Epiphany, the Custos of the Holy Land, Friar Pierbattista Pizzaballa, made a solemn entry into the city of the Nativity for the second time within a little more than one month, thus prolonging the season of Christmas.
According to tradition, the procession of cars left for Mar Elias, its first stop, after the police and then the parish community of Jerusalem had offered their good wishes. At Mar Elias the convoy was awaited by representatives of the Beit Jala parish with at their head their parish priest, Father Ibrahim Shomali from the Latin Patriarchate. Then there was another stop at Rachel’s Tomb, where the parish priest of Bethlehem and parishioners from Beit Sahour and the city of the Nativity were waiting.
The procession, preceded by scouts, went through the city by way of the old route of the patriarchs and reached its goal, Manger Square, around noon.
After greeting the representatives of the Orthodox Churches and donning the priestly garments in the cloister, the Custos was welcomed by the local authorities. While the Te Deum being sung, he entered the church of Saint Catherine followed by the guardian of the Franciscan convent, Friar Jerzy Kraj. After the solemn blessing, the Franciscan friars shared a festive meal before meeting in the basilica to sing Vespers; they were accompanied by some faithful, men and women religious, including the Poor Clares from the San Biagio de Forli monastery in Italy (Emilio Romagna), who were here on pilgrimage and did not miss the opportunity to join in the festivities. The next morning, while the Orthodox Patriarchs made their solemn entry for their feast of Christmas – according to the Julian calendar – (1), the Franciscans and the Latin parish met to accompany the Custos, who presided over the parish Mass of the Epiphany.
But the moment that was most awaited by the local faithful was the procession with the Child Jesus at the end of Second Vespers.
To make up for the fact that the large assembly could not enter the grotto where a representation of the Child Jesus seated on a throne awaited the liturgical honors, the people escorted it with fervor during the three rounds in the cloister of St. Jerome, where it took up a position in the passage and could be touched, thus venerating it as representing the divinity of a small child to whom Salvation is owed.
After the final blessing, the faithful could again express their devotion to the Child in the crib. This year, because the entry of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch did not draw the same crowd as usual due to the controversies between the Greek Patriarchate and its Palestinian faithful, the Catholic ceremonies ended before night had fallen and the Custos of the Holy Land, greeted by his brothers, returned to Jerusalem. All night, the basilica of the Nativity remained open for the celebration of Christmas by the Orthodox. In reality, it is Christmas every day in Bethlehem.
Mab
(1) The Armenians also use the Julian calendar, but they have kept the ancient tradition of celebrating Christmas on the day of the Epiphany, so on January 18 and 19.
According to tradition, the procession of cars left for Mar Elias, its first stop, after the police and then the parish community of Jerusalem had offered their good wishes. At Mar Elias the convoy was awaited by representatives of the Beit Jala parish with at their head their parish priest, Father Ibrahim Shomali from the Latin Patriarchate. Then there was another stop at Rachel’s Tomb, where the parish priest of Bethlehem and parishioners from Beit Sahour and the city of the Nativity were waiting.
The procession, preceded by scouts, went through the city by way of the old route of the patriarchs and reached its goal, Manger Square, around noon.
After greeting the representatives of the Orthodox Churches and donning the priestly garments in the cloister, the Custos was welcomed by the local authorities. While the Te Deum being sung, he entered the church of Saint Catherine followed by the guardian of the Franciscan convent, Friar Jerzy Kraj. After the solemn blessing, the Franciscan friars shared a festive meal before meeting in the basilica to sing Vespers; they were accompanied by some faithful, men and women religious, including the Poor Clares from the San Biagio de Forli monastery in Italy (Emilio Romagna), who were here on pilgrimage and did not miss the opportunity to join in the festivities. The next morning, while the Orthodox Patriarchs made their solemn entry for their feast of Christmas – according to the Julian calendar – (1), the Franciscans and the Latin parish met to accompany the Custos, who presided over the parish Mass of the Epiphany.
But the moment that was most awaited by the local faithful was the procession with the Child Jesus at the end of Second Vespers.
To make up for the fact that the large assembly could not enter the grotto where a representation of the Child Jesus seated on a throne awaited the liturgical honors, the people escorted it with fervor during the three rounds in the cloister of St. Jerome, where it took up a position in the passage and could be touched, thus venerating it as representing the divinity of a small child to whom Salvation is owed.
After the final blessing, the faithful could again express their devotion to the Child in the crib. This year, because the entry of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch did not draw the same crowd as usual due to the controversies between the Greek Patriarchate and its Palestinian faithful, the Catholic ceremonies ended before night had fallen and the Custos of the Holy Land, greeted by his brothers, returned to Jerusalem. All night, the basilica of the Nativity remained open for the celebration of Christmas by the Orthodox. In reality, it is Christmas every day in Bethlehem.
Mab
(1) The Armenians also use the Julian calendar, but they have kept the ancient tradition of celebrating Christmas on the day of the Epiphany, so on January 18 and 19.