The three days entitled “The Human Person’s Journey: Eight Centuries of the Message of Francis of Assisi” ended with a walk from the village of Neve Shalom - Wahat as-Salam to Ein Karem. These days were organized by the Italian Embassy in Israel, the city of Assisi, and the Holy Land Custody within the context of the eighth centenary of the Order’s birth, which is being celebrated this year all over the world.
For the Italians – for those who are Christian and for those who are not, for believers and for those who don’t believe - Saint Francis belongs to the national patrimony, and all agree in speaking of the relevance of his message for the present day. The Italian embassy wanted to present and honor the richness of the Franciscan presence in the Holy Land throughout the centuries and the relevance today of the message of Saint Francis in Israel.
The some thirty people walking from Neve Shalom – Wahat as-Salam to Ein Karem did not suffer too much from the morning’s rain. When they arrived in Ein Karem, they were welcomed by the Custos of the Holy Land, Friar Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and Friar Oscar Mario Marzo.
The latter began the visit of the sanctuary, where the group arrived ahead of schedule, in front of the text of the Benedictus written in Hebrew. The day’s participants came from very different backgrounds. Among them there were more Israelis than Italians living in the country. They were soon joined by other people who wanted to benefit from the visit, including the Italian ambassador to Israel, his Excellency Luigi Mattiolo, and Mr. Francesco Greco, the Director General for Cultural Promotion from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Everyone present manifested real curiosity both as regards the sancuary’s cultural significance and in view of its meaning for Christians. Friar Oscar responded in Hebrew to the many questions asked and Friar Harout from the Saint John the Baptist community in Italian or English. Then the group went to Casa Nova, where a buffet was awaiting them. As far as possible, the friars of the community welcoming them wanted to enable religious Jews to share in the meal as well, by avoiding what was incompatible with Kashrut. After eating something, the participants returned to the church, where, after a few words spoken by the official people, they listened to a concert given by the Yasmin Choir from the Saint Savior’s Magnificat Institute.
This day was the last of the three. On Wednesday, November 11, a seminar entitled “Travelers, Pilgrims and Testimonies: Encounter with the Holy/Promised Land” offered lectures of very high quality from Jewish, Christian, and Muslim speakers. For the Custody, this was an opportunity to verify that its history is studied by people doing passionate research as well as to discover new, previously unknown historical sources such as the journal kept by a German Franciscan during his stay in the Holy Land from 1748 until 1752. This manuscript, which is to be found in Bavaria, contains much information and is also enriched by drawings of convents that the friar visited. But other sources from Muslim pilgrims during the Ottoman Empire - surprised by the sound of the organ, as they reported - also shed new light on the welcome by the friars, as do sources from Jewish or Protestant pilgrims.
The second day, Thursday, November 12, consisted in a visit to the holy places in Galilee. Three buses went from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to the Mount of Beatitudes, Tabgha, and then Capharnaum.
In the talk he gave at the beginning of the seminar on Wednesday, the Custos of the Holy Land spoke of the spirit in which Francis must have left on mission: “He offers a pedagogy of dialogue that is not afraid of encountering the enemy because – quite simply – he sees in him a human being, a brother. He is not afraid of confrontation, he is not afraid of another culture or of different traditions, because he knows that authentic dialogue is born of mutual knowledge. Every dialogue that is not based on deep and sincere empathy for the other, every dialogue that does not spring from the heart, from the acceptance of one’s own limitations and of those of the other, is bound to fail.”
This was exactly the example that the Italian embassy wanted to highlight in offering these three days when it wrote: “Francis himself visited this Land between 1210 and 1220, and he met Sultan Melek el-Kamel, who at the time of the Crusades was considered to be the enemy par excellence, the unbeliever. This prophetic witness of dialogue and respect between cultures is still an example for the people of our time.”
In this region, the message of Saint Francis is not only relevant for the present day, it is urgent.
Mab
For the Italians – for those who are Christian and for those who are not, for believers and for those who don’t believe - Saint Francis belongs to the national patrimony, and all agree in speaking of the relevance of his message for the present day. The Italian embassy wanted to present and honor the richness of the Franciscan presence in the Holy Land throughout the centuries and the relevance today of the message of Saint Francis in Israel.
The some thirty people walking from Neve Shalom – Wahat as-Salam to Ein Karem did not suffer too much from the morning’s rain. When they arrived in Ein Karem, they were welcomed by the Custos of the Holy Land, Friar Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and Friar Oscar Mario Marzo.
The latter began the visit of the sanctuary, where the group arrived ahead of schedule, in front of the text of the Benedictus written in Hebrew. The day’s participants came from very different backgrounds. Among them there were more Israelis than Italians living in the country. They were soon joined by other people who wanted to benefit from the visit, including the Italian ambassador to Israel, his Excellency Luigi Mattiolo, and Mr. Francesco Greco, the Director General for Cultural Promotion from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Everyone present manifested real curiosity both as regards the sancuary’s cultural significance and in view of its meaning for Christians. Friar Oscar responded in Hebrew to the many questions asked and Friar Harout from the Saint John the Baptist community in Italian or English. Then the group went to Casa Nova, where a buffet was awaiting them. As far as possible, the friars of the community welcoming them wanted to enable religious Jews to share in the meal as well, by avoiding what was incompatible with Kashrut. After eating something, the participants returned to the church, where, after a few words spoken by the official people, they listened to a concert given by the Yasmin Choir from the Saint Savior’s Magnificat Institute.
This day was the last of the three. On Wednesday, November 11, a seminar entitled “Travelers, Pilgrims and Testimonies: Encounter with the Holy/Promised Land” offered lectures of very high quality from Jewish, Christian, and Muslim speakers. For the Custody, this was an opportunity to verify that its history is studied by people doing passionate research as well as to discover new, previously unknown historical sources such as the journal kept by a German Franciscan during his stay in the Holy Land from 1748 until 1752. This manuscript, which is to be found in Bavaria, contains much information and is also enriched by drawings of convents that the friar visited. But other sources from Muslim pilgrims during the Ottoman Empire - surprised by the sound of the organ, as they reported - also shed new light on the welcome by the friars, as do sources from Jewish or Protestant pilgrims.
The second day, Thursday, November 12, consisted in a visit to the holy places in Galilee. Three buses went from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to the Mount of Beatitudes, Tabgha, and then Capharnaum.
In the talk he gave at the beginning of the seminar on Wednesday, the Custos of the Holy Land spoke of the spirit in which Francis must have left on mission: “He offers a pedagogy of dialogue that is not afraid of encountering the enemy because – quite simply – he sees in him a human being, a brother. He is not afraid of confrontation, he is not afraid of another culture or of different traditions, because he knows that authentic dialogue is born of mutual knowledge. Every dialogue that is not based on deep and sincere empathy for the other, every dialogue that does not spring from the heart, from the acceptance of one’s own limitations and of those of the other, is bound to fail.”
This was exactly the example that the Italian embassy wanted to highlight in offering these three days when it wrote: “Francis himself visited this Land between 1210 and 1220, and he met Sultan Melek el-Kamel, who at the time of the Crusades was considered to be the enemy par excellence, the unbeliever. This prophetic witness of dialogue and respect between cultures is still an example for the people of our time.”
In this region, the message of Saint Francis is not only relevant for the present day, it is urgent.
Mab