Custodian of the Holy Land: At Christmas the Church listens to the voice of the innocent

At Christmas, the Catholic Church in the Holy Land — terribly affected by the war between Israel and Hamas — especially remembered that it listens to the voice of the innocent who suffer every day, according to the Custodian of the Holy LandFriar Francesco Patton, in his Christmas message.

Friar Patton recalled that the reality of the Holy Family “was very difficult” at the time of Jesus’ birth, which did not have any shelter. Thus the child was born, placed in a manger as a prophecy that he would later “become our food.”

Furthermore, he made a comparison of that complicated reality with the one that the region passes through today, faithfully guarded by the Franciscan order for centuries, pointing out that at that time Judea was “a small satellite” of the great Roman empire and that at that time King Herod was “so attached to power” that he ordered the massacre of the Holy Innocents.

“On this Christmas, still darkened by the darkness of hatred and war, still infected by the virus of human indifference, still reddened by the blood of too many murdered innocents, we kneel before the manger in which Mary placed the Baby Jesus. ”said Friar Patton.

In that sense, he invited us to reflect the intention addressed by Pope Francis to the entire world last Christmas: That of saying “yes” to the Prince of Peace, which means saying “no” to war; and with courage say “no” to war, “to every war, to the very logic of war, journey without goal, defeat without winner, madness without excuse.”

And he highlighted the words of Pope at Christmas 2023: “From the cradle, the Child asks us to be the voice of those who have no voice: the voice of the innocent.”

“Let us not forget it when we shake hands and exchange good wishes. Merry Christmas from Bethlehem”, concluded the Custos of the Holy Land.