The Holy Father said these words during the hearing which he granted to the extras of the live birth that was presented this afternoon in the Basilica of Santa María Maggiore, in Rome.
“We know what the situation is because of the war, a consequence of a conflict that has lasted for decades,” said the Pontiff. For the inhabitants of Bethlehem and the rest of the Holy Land, “a Christmas of pain, of mourning, without pilgrims, without celebrations is announced,” he said.
The majority of Christians in the Holy Land live from tourism and pilgrimages, so the cancellation of these has caused a lack of resources for families.