Jerusalem, Fr Faltas: Jesus' forgiveness and love the response to violence

The Custody's vicar general invites prayers for the Holy Land, stressing that peace is the Christian "answer" to wars and tensions. Yesterday Palm Sunday celebrations, hundreds of faithful at the procession. King Abdallah of Jordan assures maximum commitment to "safeguarding" the holy places in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews) - "We must not respond to violence with violence, but with love, forgiveness and peace," writesFr Ibrahim Faltas, vicar general of the Custody of the Holy Land in Jerusalem and former director of Catholic schools,  in a brief reflection sent to AsiaNews on Holy Week.

Recalling the recent episodes of anti-Christian violence in the Holy Land, he reflects "our response to these violent actions, has been forgiveness, prayer. From the holy places in this week that represents the heart of Christian life and faith, he assures, "we will pray for the whole world"; at the same time, he launches an appeal in a phase of profound tension: "pray for the Holy Land".

"We are Christians, Jesus taught us to forgive, to extend a hand," Fr. Faltas continues, "to those who make us suffer". Moreover, "we have a very important responsibility" because we are the Christians of Jerusalem, and even though we live "a difficult time" marked by attacks and persecution we are "proud of the Cross" because it is the "sign of Jesus' love for humanity".

Precisely to reinforce the message of forgiveness, on the occasion of the Way of the Cross of the Catholic schools on 31 March, with the participation of Custos Francis Patton and the Patriarch of the Latins Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the more than 500 children waved scarves "with the prayer of Jesus: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do".

With Palm Sunday, which commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Christians in the Holy Land began the celebrations of Holy Week leading up to Easter in an atmosphere of hope (for peace) and tension over the recent attacks: from the Christian schools in Nazareth to the assault on Mary's Tomb, the raid on the Church of the Flagellation and the vandalism of Christian cemeteries.

Hundreds took part in the procession to the Mount of Olives, waving twigs and palms as a sign of peace. "My wish", said Patriarch Pizzaballa, "is that love and life may characterise our lives more than the violence we are experiencing".

Yesterday, Jordan's King Abdallah II spoke on the "safeguarding" of the holy places in Jerusalem during a meeting in Amman with a delegation of Christian and Muslim religious leaders from the city accompanied by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The monarch recalled that the Hashemite kingdom "will always be with you" and, addressing Muslims, he added that it is the "duty" of each to avert "the escalation of Israeli tension against the holy places". Finally, the king emphasised his personal commitment to preserving "peace and harmony" in the al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holy site of Islam, administered by Jordan.

As a reminder of the recent attacks against Christians, participants in the Way of the Cross promoted by the Christian schools of the Holy Land began the walk to the Flagellation with the statue of Jesus that was attacked and destroyed by Jewish extremists in recent weeks.

"The Via Dolorosa," explained Fr. Faltas, "was coloured red, the 500 scarves we all wore, because they depict the Statue of the Flagellation that suffered a violent attack by a fanatic.

Many other Christian churches and cemeteries in recent months "have suffered some acts of violence due to religious fanaticism, which is worrying" and has "shaken the Christian community", which already on a daily basis "does not have an easy life, due to the constant geopolitical changes".

"Christians are the first to pay the consequences, a real via crucis for many of them, who with courage and resilience remain in the holy city, with the hope of a better future" and for this, he concludes, "represent a true miracle of God".