Under a scorching sun the motorcade that escorted the new Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Msgr. Fouad Twal, set out for Bethlehem at 3:00 pm.
Numerous lay people and religious brothers and sisters wanted to accompany the Patriarch for this Solemn Entry to the city of Christ’s birth.
The road had been opened and reserved by the Israeli police up to the first stop, the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox monastery, which traditionally marks the official beginning of the conglomeration of Beit Jala, Beit Sahur and Bethlehem. For the occasion, some forty Palestinian vehicles with their green and white license plates were allowed to bypass the limits of the "security fence". (Even so, they had to be provided with a cardboard sign, delivered for the occasion by the Custody of the Holy Land, which is in charge of the Status Quo that legislates such events, in accordance with the Israeli military authorities.)
At Mar Elias, the Israeli military governor of the district, Rami Barakat, was the first to welcome him as he left his car, followed by the mayor of Beit Jala and some of his council members, and then some of the faithful of the three Christian villages of the conglomeration greeted His Beatitude, as well as - for the first time in a Solemn Entry - the four Latin consuls (of France, Spain, Belgium and Italy).
From there, the motorcade quickly left for Bethlehem. In conformity with the Status Quo, he entered by the old Patriarch’s road, which avoids the checkpoint and goes directly toward Rachel’s Tomb, whose recently installed armored gates opened in turn to let the vehicles enter.
Brother Samuel Fayez Fahim ofm, pastor of the parish, welcomed the Patriarch first, followed by the Mayor of Beit Sahur, his municipal council and some of the faithful.
Preceded by the town’s Scout troop, which brings together all the Christian denominations, the motorcade crossed Bethlehem, still following the old Patriarch’s route. In the shadows of the narrow roads, the crowd awaited His Beatitude’s car to cheer it.
Franciscans and seminarians from the Latin Patriarchate were waiting for the Patriarch in Manger Square. As he stepped out of the car in the square in front of City Hall, Doctor Victor Batarseh, the city’s mayor, the Palestinian Minister of Tourism, the consuls and the waiting crowd escorted Msgr. Twal to the basilica’s entrance, before which, after kissing a cross extended to him by the Custos of the Holy Land, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, he sprinkled the crowd with holy water.
Once through the Door of Humility, His Beatitude greeted the representatives of the Greek Orthodox and Armenian Churches, who were waiting at the base of the basilica’s nave. Then, after entering Saint Jerome’s Cloister to the sound of the Te Deum, he entered Saint Catherine’s Church, to the sound of an ovation.
A few brief words from the Custos expressed the warm welcome of the local community for its new Patriarch. The parish priest, Brother Samuel Fayez Fahim ofm, also said a few words in Arabic, as did Msgr. Camillo Ballin, bishop of Kuwait and representative of the Conference of Latin Bishops in Arab Regions.
Finally, the Patriarch took the floor. His words were eagerly awaited by the Christians of Palestine, wanting to get to know their new Patriarch, wanting to hear that a Jordanian would take as good care of them as had his Palestinian predecessor, Msgr. Michel Sabbah. If the applause that followed his words was to be believed, he won them over.
We want, O Child of the Grotto, your voice to cry out again under our sky:
- “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Mt. 5:9).
- “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Mt. 5:4)
- “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Mt. 5 :7)
Yes, come and be born again at Bethlehem, in our homes and our hearts; come and walk the streets of Bethlehem and all the cities of Palestine. With your divine pity, look at the empty houses, the confiscated land, the closed shops; with your divine mercy, look at the check points, the obstacles and the barriers that man has erected against his brother…
After the solemn benediction that closed the Solemn Entry, while the crowd pressed into the cloister awaiting his exit, the Patriarch wished to go to the grotto for a few moments, accompanied by a smaller escort. Fathers Athanasius Macora, in charge of the Status Quo, and Ibrahim Faltas accompanied him and facilitated with the Armenian and Greek Churches this brief moment of recollection. Brother Jerzy Kraj, superior of the Franciscan community, also welcomed him at the Altar of the Magi.
The Patriarch then rejoined his people and the numerous invited guests at a cocktail party in honor of the occasion.
The Church of Jerusalem has a new Patriarch: His Beatitude Msgr. Fouad Twal. On the 29th of June, he will be in Rome to receive the pallium from the hands of the Holy Father Benedict XVI. He will soon celebrate his first Mass in the parish at Beit Hanina, and will make his official entry into Jordan at Madaba on July 11th. Later, it will be the turn of Nazareth and other parts of the diocese. The Holy Land has not finished celebrating its new Patriarch.
Marie-Armelle Beaulieu
Numerous lay people and religious brothers and sisters wanted to accompany the Patriarch for this Solemn Entry to the city of Christ’s birth.
The road had been opened and reserved by the Israeli police up to the first stop, the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox monastery, which traditionally marks the official beginning of the conglomeration of Beit Jala, Beit Sahur and Bethlehem. For the occasion, some forty Palestinian vehicles with their green and white license plates were allowed to bypass the limits of the "security fence". (Even so, they had to be provided with a cardboard sign, delivered for the occasion by the Custody of the Holy Land, which is in charge of the Status Quo that legislates such events, in accordance with the Israeli military authorities.)
At Mar Elias, the Israeli military governor of the district, Rami Barakat, was the first to welcome him as he left his car, followed by the mayor of Beit Jala and some of his council members, and then some of the faithful of the three Christian villages of the conglomeration greeted His Beatitude, as well as - for the first time in a Solemn Entry - the four Latin consuls (of France, Spain, Belgium and Italy).
From there, the motorcade quickly left for Bethlehem. In conformity with the Status Quo, he entered by the old Patriarch’s road, which avoids the checkpoint and goes directly toward Rachel’s Tomb, whose recently installed armored gates opened in turn to let the vehicles enter.
Brother Samuel Fayez Fahim ofm, pastor of the parish, welcomed the Patriarch first, followed by the Mayor of Beit Sahur, his municipal council and some of the faithful.
Preceded by the town’s Scout troop, which brings together all the Christian denominations, the motorcade crossed Bethlehem, still following the old Patriarch’s route. In the shadows of the narrow roads, the crowd awaited His Beatitude’s car to cheer it.
Franciscans and seminarians from the Latin Patriarchate were waiting for the Patriarch in Manger Square. As he stepped out of the car in the square in front of City Hall, Doctor Victor Batarseh, the city’s mayor, the Palestinian Minister of Tourism, the consuls and the waiting crowd escorted Msgr. Twal to the basilica’s entrance, before which, after kissing a cross extended to him by the Custos of the Holy Land, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, he sprinkled the crowd with holy water.
Once through the Door of Humility, His Beatitude greeted the representatives of the Greek Orthodox and Armenian Churches, who were waiting at the base of the basilica’s nave. Then, after entering Saint Jerome’s Cloister to the sound of the Te Deum, he entered Saint Catherine’s Church, to the sound of an ovation.
A few brief words from the Custos expressed the warm welcome of the local community for its new Patriarch. The parish priest, Brother Samuel Fayez Fahim ofm, also said a few words in Arabic, as did Msgr. Camillo Ballin, bishop of Kuwait and representative of the Conference of Latin Bishops in Arab Regions.
Finally, the Patriarch took the floor. His words were eagerly awaited by the Christians of Palestine, wanting to get to know their new Patriarch, wanting to hear that a Jordanian would take as good care of them as had his Palestinian predecessor, Msgr. Michel Sabbah. If the applause that followed his words was to be believed, he won them over.
We want, O Child of the Grotto, your voice to cry out again under our sky:
- “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Mt. 5:9).
- “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Mt. 5:4)
- “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Mt. 5 :7)
Yes, come and be born again at Bethlehem, in our homes and our hearts; come and walk the streets of Bethlehem and all the cities of Palestine. With your divine pity, look at the empty houses, the confiscated land, the closed shops; with your divine mercy, look at the check points, the obstacles and the barriers that man has erected against his brother…
After the solemn benediction that closed the Solemn Entry, while the crowd pressed into the cloister awaiting his exit, the Patriarch wished to go to the grotto for a few moments, accompanied by a smaller escort. Fathers Athanasius Macora, in charge of the Status Quo, and Ibrahim Faltas accompanied him and facilitated with the Armenian and Greek Churches this brief moment of recollection. Brother Jerzy Kraj, superior of the Franciscan community, also welcomed him at the Altar of the Magi.
The Patriarch then rejoined his people and the numerous invited guests at a cocktail party in honor of the occasion.
The Church of Jerusalem has a new Patriarch: His Beatitude Msgr. Fouad Twal. On the 29th of June, he will be in Rome to receive the pallium from the hands of the Holy Father Benedict XVI. He will soon celebrate his first Mass in the parish at Beit Hanina, and will make his official entry into Jordan at Madaba on July 11th. Later, it will be the turn of Nazareth and other parts of the diocese. The Holy Land has not finished celebrating its new Patriarch.
Marie-Armelle Beaulieu