Christians are taking part in Holy Week rites torn between traditional fervour and the burden of an explosive and unpredictable regional context, feeling occupied from within by Hezbollah and bearing the already considerable human cost of the war with Israel. Churches are packed for Good Friday in areas spared from the bombardment. Divisions among Christian leaders weigh heavily.
Bishop Palinuro tells AsiaNews about the Holy Week celebrations, just a few months after the Pope’s visit. The repercussions of the Gulf War are hitting the most vulnerable: the poor, migrants and refugees. Ankara “has not responded” to Tehran’s “provocations” and remains a “moderating presence” in regional conflicts. Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic journey continues to “yield positive results”.
In the shadows cast by war in the Palestinian territories, construction work is progressing on projects designed to “normalise” life in Jewish settlements. Work began at the end of February on a new road connecting settlements north and south of Ramallah with Israel proper. The US$ 215-million investment will benefit places inhabited by just a few tens of thousands of settlers. But the goal is to “bring one million residents to Judea and Samaria.”
On the eve of Passover, the Rossing Centre expert speaks with concern of a country that today seems to have lost faith in coexistence. “For us Jews, this is a Passover dominated by a sense of exhaustion.” The war fronts, from Gaza to Iran, fuel hatred and divisions. Blockades, discrimination against Muslims and even Christians. The work of those who nevertheless try to listen to the other’s reasons, keeping hope alive, is fundamental.
After yesterday's muddled affair, an agreement was reached for Easter celebrations at the Holy Sepulchre: While the basilica remains closed, Israeli police will guarantee access to the building for Church representatives to livestream the liturgies. This matter brings to the fore the issue of the status quo of the Holy Places. Politics cannot override rules and traditions in Jerusalem even in times of war.
Israeli police in Jerusalem carried out a wanton act of intimidation against the cardinal and the custos of the Holy Land, who were prevented from privately entering the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass this morning. The Patriarchate protested the lack of respect for “the sensibilities of billions of people around the world who, during this week, look to Jerusalem.” Prayers will be held this afternoon at the Dominus Flevit.
