Jerusalem church leaders call for peace following deadly Hamas attack October 9, 2023By Judith Sudilovsky OSV News Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, Feature, News, World News Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem united in a call for peace and justice amid unfolding violence, following a surprise attack by Hamas in southern Israel, which has left around 600 Israelis dead, among them civilians and dozens of soldiers and police who were killed battling the Hamas fighters.
Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem calls for international help to de-escalate violence amid devastating Hamas attack on Israel October 8, 2023By Judith Sudilovsky OSV News Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, Feature, News, World News The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem called Oct. 7 for secular and religious leaders around the world to help de-escalate the violence between Hamas and Israel following an unprecedented surprise dawn attack by Hamas militants on a major Jewish holiday.
Israeli top politicians, rabbis react after incidents of spitting on Christians causes uproar October 6, 2023By Judith Sudilovsky OSV News Filed Under: Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, Feature, News, World News While recent incidents of spitting on Christians outraged the community in the Holy Land, Israeli officials openly condemned the attacks this time, with the foreign minister of the country personally calling the Vatican’s top diplomat.
New metal fence is sign of worsening conditions for Holy Land Christians August 2, 2023By Judith Sudilovsky OSV News Filed Under: Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, Feature, News, World News The mountaintop monastery at Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel, facing the sea, has been a place of pilgrimage and tours for peoples of all faiths.
Gaza Strip Catholic priest brings comfort to traumatized community, with special focus on young people May 19, 2023By Judith Sudilovsky OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, World News In addition to providing spiritual support to the community members during the five days of hostilities, Father Romanelli said he and the nine nuns currently in Gaza worked to find ways to offer psychological and emotional support.
Orthodox Christians celebrated Easter in the Holy Land with another year of Holy Fire restrictions April 17, 2023By Judith Sudilovsky OSV News Filed Under: Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, Feature, News, World News Thousands of local and international Christian pilgrims thronged to Jerusalem’s Old City and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for the ancient Eastern rite ceremony of the Holy Fire April 15, with some scuffles reported as Israeli police restricted the number of people able to reach the church.
Holy Land patriarchs in Easter message place ‘ultimate hope only God’ amid increasing attacks on Christian sites April 3, 2023By Judith Sudilovsky OSV News Filed Under: Easter, Feature, Lent, News, World News Just as early Christians were sustained by the words of St. Peter describing Jesus’ resurrection as offering a “new birth into a living hope,” so too should the Christians of the Holy Land today be encouraged and empowered by this knowledge as they face tumultuous times, when their own faith continues to be tested, said the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in their March 31 Easter message.
American Jewish tourist arrested in Jerusalem for vandalizing statue of Jesus February 3, 2023By Judith Sudilovsky OSV News Filed Under: Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, Feature, News, World News Israeli police arrested an American Jewish tourist Feb. 2 for vandalizing a statue of Jesus at the Franciscan Church of Flagellation in the Old City.
