The town of Jesus’ birth has festively opened the season of Advent, with the solemn entry of Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Custos of the Holy Land.
The town of Jesus’ birth has festively opened the season of Advent, with the solemn entry of Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Custos of the Holy Land.
After being welcomed by the civil and religious authorities in Manger Square, Father Pizzaballa entered the Basilica of the Nativity and the Basilica of Santa Caterina, where they celebrated the first vespers.
The Franciscans and the faithful gathered for a weekend fully dedicated to the liturgy. The friars walked in procession into the Grotto of the Nativity where the first candle of the Advent wreath was lit.
The day began in the morning of Saturday, November 28, with a pilgrimage from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. The Christians of the Franciscan parishes of the two communities met at the monastery of Mar Elias and then walked the few kilometers that separate the two biblical cities.
Today, a wall separates the two towns. For the Israelis, it is a security wall; for the Palestinians: a separation wall.