On the morning of Friday, December 27, 2024, the visit of the Holy Sepulchre Brotherhood took place, led by its Hegoumen, Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem to the Custody of the Brotherhood of the Franciscans.
During this visit, His Beatitude addressed the Superior of the Custody, Fr. Francesco Paton, as follows:
“Your Paternity, Father Francesco,
Your Eminences,
Your Graces,
Beloved members of our respective Fraternities,
Dear Fathers,
We greet you, Your Paternity, and your Brotherhood, as you celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. As the well-known Patriarch of Jerusalem Sophronios has written,
Make ready, O Bethlehem: let the manger be prepared,
let the cave show its welcome.
The truth has come, the shadow has passed away.
(From the Royal Hours of Christmas Eve)
For a second Christmas season, we celebrate this sacred feast in a time of conflict and unspeakable horror for our communities and peoples. No one in the region is untouched by the ravages of war. Darkness covers the land, and in this darkness, the world looks for the light of hope that shines from the Cave in Bethlehem.
In the midst of such great difficulties and such profound threats to our communities, the Psalmist recalls our attention:
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea.
(Ps. 45 (46), 1-2)
We remain committed to supporting and sustaining our suffering communities, and to do all we can, to give practical help to those in need. We are especially mindful of the Monastery of Saint Porphyrios and the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza, where so many are turning to the Churches for assistance.
Yet, even in the midst of the difficulties, we remain firm in the hope that the mystery of the incarnation and the Divine Logos brings to the world. The ongoing cooperation between our Brotherhoods in the renovation of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and eventually of the Church of the Nativity, are signs of hope for our people and the world, and we give thanks for this partnership in ensuring the well-being of our spiritual mission here.
We are convinced that peace is attainable, for the newly-born Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace. As our Lord, Himself, has said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid” (John 14, 27).
We call on the authorities of our region, as well as the international community, to spare no effort in bringing the present conflict to a swift end. We have seen a sign of hope in the ceasefire in Lebanon, and we know that when parties at war show resolve for peace, a new way forward is possible.
Μay this Christmas season be the harbinger of peace, which is the foundation of the reconciliation we long for.
We wish you, Your Paternity, and Your Brotherhood, all the blessings of this blessed season, and we pray fervently for the peace that the Holy Child of Bethlehem brings to the world.
Thank you.”
On the same day, the visit of the Holy Sepulchre Brotherhood to the Latin Patriarchate was led by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Pierre Battista Pizzaballa. Here, His Beatitude also addressed the Latin Patriarch as follows:
“Your Beatitude, dear Cardinal Pizzaballa,
Your Eminences,
Your Graces,
Dear Fathers,
Beloved in Christ,
We greet you, Your Beatitude, as you keep the Christmas feast, and in this season we are deeply mindful of the words of the hymnographer:
As you are the God of peace
and Father of mercies,
you have sent to us your Angel of great council,
granting us peace.
(From Christmas Matins)
In this season of hope, there is nothing of greater importance to all of us than peace. For a second Christmas, our communities are celebrating the birth of the Prince of Peace in the midst of war, displacement, and desperation. We cannot but be profoundly concerned about the suffering all around us in the Holy Land, and the hopelessness of so many of our peoples.
Our spiritual mission is to sustain the faithful in the midst of terrible hardship and suffering and to bring help, however, we are able. All of our communities are doing the best they can to offer spiritual and practical help to those in need, and we are especially mindful of the Church of the Holy Family and the Monastery of Saint Porphyrios in Gaza, where so many have come for assistance as well as for the ministry of the Church.
Nor can we give our strong calls for an immediate end to the violence and war, the release of those still held captives, and swift and effective humanitarian aid. We know peace is possible, and we are encouraged by the ceasefire in Lebanon. Our resolve to see a similar ceasefire in the Holy Land must not waiver, and once again we call on the authorities of our region, as well as the international community to let no more opportunities for peace pass us by.
We are particularly mindful of the witness you give to the plight of the Christian communities of the Holy Land, and we are grateful to His Holiness Pope Francis for his unwavering support of the Christian presence here. We deeply value our ongoing cooperation in the mission of sustaining the multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious landscape of the Holy Land, in the face of those who would undo the rich tapestry of the diverse life of this region.
We pray that this season of light and hope will be the turning point for our region and that the New Year will bring the peace and the road to a new future, which we all long for.
May God bless you, Your Beatitude, with the joy of this Christmas Feast and may God sustain our suffering peoples with the hope that is born in the Holy Cave of Bethlehem.
Thank you.”
At Noon of the Same Day, the Visit of Archbishop Theophanes to the Lutheran Church of Gerash paid a visit on behalf of the Brotherhood to the Lutheran Church next to the Church of the Resurrection, where he met with the Lutheran Bishop of Jerusalem, Sani Azar, and the Propst, Ioakim Lenz. They exchanged the appropriate wishes for the feast.
Subsequently, around noon, His Beatitude, accompanied by the Elder Chief Secretary, Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, and by the Secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod, Hierodeacon Simeon, visited the Apostolic Delegate – the Vatican Representative to the Holy Land, Cardinal Adolfo Tito Yllana, and the Anglican Archbishop of Jerusalem, Hosam Naoum. They exchanged the appropriate wishes for the feast.
