In an interview given the previous evening to several media, including CNA, the Custos of the Holy Land underlined the importance of this passage.
“For me, it is the most significant gesture, even more so than when everything goes smoothly and with the greatest solemnity. It is to continue to affirm that even a wall can be crossed. It is a sign that sooner or later there will be no more walls, and in a context like the one we are experiencing, marked by conflict and confrontation between the two populations, this takes on an even greater meaning. , did he declare.
The Custos and the Franciscan friars were welcomed by the scouts at the start of the Rue des Étoiles, which winds through the heart of Bethlehem – the route traditionally believed to have been taken by the Magi. The Custos then walked a short distance to Manger Square, where he was greeted by local authorities: the mayor, the governor, the police chief and the military commander.
At the entrance to the Basilica of the Nativity, the Custos was then welcomed by Greek Orthodox and Armenian representatives. After entering the basilica, he went to the Latin part of the complex, the Church of Saint Catherine, where he venerated the relic of the holy cradle of the Child Jesus, offered to the Custody of the Holy Land by the Pope Francis in 2019.
The next day, with the celebration of First Vespers on Sunday, December 3, the season of Advent and a new liturgical year for the Catholic Church officially began. The Custos and the Franciscan friars went to the Grotto of the Nativity, where they venerated the place where the Son of God was born as a man, now marked by a silver star.
A few steps away is the crèche where Jesus was laid immediately after his birth. Here the Custos lit the first candle of the Advent wreath.
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St. Catherine’s Church was filled with local worshipers for the celebration of the solemn mass of the first Sunday of Advent.
“Thank you for being the Christian presence in Bethlehem,” Patton said at the start of the Mass, greeting those in attendance. “We hope to see the pilgrims again soon, but you are the Church of Bethlehem, the living stones.”
Two little girls entered the Church for the first time, approximately 40 days after their birth – a tradition still observed in this country. One of them was welcomed by the custos during the offertory.
