SPIRITUAL CRUISADE FOR THE HOLY LAND - FIRST PART

 FROM TEL AVIV TO BETHLEHEM AT DAWN

“They are already enlarging the settlements in the West Bank and they are building these separating walls, what we call Apartheid Walls, around all the cities and villages in the West Bank – turning these cities and villages into big prisons surrounded by walls eight metres in height. This is the biggest hindrance to a peaceful solution in the West Bank because, as long as there is occupation, we will not have peace. The only way to have peace is to stop this occupation.”

This is what the Lord Mayor of Bethlehem has recently declared to denounce the permanent state of siege of his town that is so dear to us Christians, as it was the cradle of Our Saviour.

On arriving at Tel Aviv at 5.30 am, the roads leading to the city were empty and there were three Israeli military roadblocks, only a few hundred metres of distance between them. In the background, a very long and high wall (8m): this scene immediately gives you an idea of what is going on only a few kilometres from Jerusalem. But the ‘jail’ effect is even more evident when the solid thick iron door slides slowly inside the wall emitting a metallic sound, as it allows people and cars to enter. On the other side of the wall and iron door there are, like in a prison under the open sky, the inhabitants of Bethlehem, Christians and Muslims, who share the same fate of prisoners.

Crossing the wall can be rather difficult, as the guards only open the door when wish to and to the people they decide. Furthermore, the local community can no longer rely on the surrounding countryside and olive trees as their main income, as the Israeli government expropriated them from their original owners. As a consequence, the flux of Christian pilgrims who visit the Basilica of the Nativity is one of the few fonts of income for the community, which in fact lives on handcrafts, various services and charity.

The Muslim community too welcomes and cries for the Christian presence in the area.

After the Christians expelled the Muslims out of Bethlehem in 1831, a rebellion broke out in 1834 which completely destroyed the Islamic quarter and, at that point, Bethlehem had a majority of Christian population. However, after 1948, a great number of Arab-Muslim refugees went to live in Bethlehem and today, also thanks to a higher level of births in their community, they now count for the majority (and I believe the same will happen in Europe within the next few decades…).

However, in the last few decades, it seems that there have not been serious problems of cohabitation between Palestinian families belonging to the two different religious confessions. But the situation is not the same in other areas.

But it is clear that, after the events of the occupation of the Basilica of the Nativity by the nationalist Palestinian military services, the situation has become more tense, and to live and work is rather an agony. The goal of the Israeli authority is clearly not so much to guarantee security, but rather to create unbearable living conditions so as to force the population to a ‘voluntary’ exodus. For example, a Catholic Palestinian friend from Bethlehem who works in Jerusalem is regularly stopped from crossing the Wall with his wife and children. He is the only one who is allowed to cross it, as he has a work card, but if his wife and children want to follow him, they must walk an extremely long distance of several kilometres around the wall to rejoin him. As a consequence, they must often renounce also to simple things like buying items for the house, going to Jerusalem for medical checkups or visiting relatives. Also, there used to be a poor old man who always used to cross the Wall with his donkey to go around the countryside looking for a few pieces of timber for his cooker and heater. One day, some soldiers who, fed up of seeing him passing by under their nose, decided to crush his donkey between two tanks. The animal was his only aid to survival. But furthermore, they also expected the old man to pay a fine because he had placed himself and his donkey between two lines of military vehicles… And there are many more bitter and cruel stories like these ones to tell…

The episode of the occupation of the Basilica of the Nativity of Bethlehem is notorious to us all. However, it may be less notorious the fact that, when the Zionist military services besieged the Basilica, they also turned it into target practice, using weapons of all sizes from both the ground and the sky, using on this occasion also a balloon operated by remote control which contained a machine-gun and a camera. The Franciscan cloister was bombarded by tons of lead from above, shattering everything and also penetrating into the cells of the monks. It was a miracle that no monks died, as many of them were simply scratched by bullets. The various bullet holes are still visible on the inner walls of the Basilica and the cloister.

In order to make the monks’ life even worse, and indirectly also that of Christians living in Bethlehem, the Israeli authority decided for the expropriation (or “the theft”, some monks rightly say) of a large portion of a hill which belonged to the Franciscans for centuries. It had already been planned that the hill was destined for the construction of houses for the poor and the elderly (many small houses have already been built everywhere by the Franciscans to satisfy the inhabited indigent Christian Palestinian requirements).

On this hill, which was stolen from the Christians, the Jews have built new settlements, with the utmost impudence and extreme arrogance. I do not recall any public protest by either journalists or politicians for this abuse.

Bethlehem is a quiet town, which once focused on the cultivation of olive trees to produce oil and timber for craftsmen who make rosaries, little religious statues, mangers and many other objects. They also make mother of pearl crafts. But to trade such products, they need pilgrims, or at least the possibility to cross the wall without any restrictions, which is impossible at the moment.

Nonetheless, the Basilica of the Nativity will always remain the main attraction for all the Christians who visit the area.

The star in the Basilica of the Nativity, Bethlehem

The history of this sacred place is long and painful, as it has been defended with enormous sacrifices which lead to the spreading of much Franciscan blood throughout the centuries.

In the beginning, it was the Muslims, the Saladins, the Caliphs and the Ottomans who destroyed and interfered with the preservation of the Basilica and the Grotto of the Nativity. Then, in the 16^th century, the Greek Orthodox (schismatic heterodox) started to contest the Franciscans’ ownership of the sanctuary.

After the Ottoman Empire defeated the Republic of Venice and the Venetians were expelled from the island of Crete (1669), the Greeks took possession of the Grotto and the Basilica.

A few years later, the Catholics resumed possession of the Grotto and in 1717 they mounted a new silver star in the exact place where Our Lord was born, also engraving the writing “Hic de Virgine Maria Jesus Christus natus est, 1717”.

But in 1757, the Greek schismatic regained ownership of the Basilica and of the altar of the Nativity, getting rid and hiding the Franciscan star that impeached their false rights. It was only with the intervention of the French Ambassador in the name of the Latin nations (as well as the compilation of a status quo of the sanctuaries), that the star returned to its place. Even so, the Franciscan friars continued to pay with their own blood the defence of these holy places.

On the 25^th April 1873, the Greek schismatic heterodox took with force the Basilica, wounding eight friars. They destroyed the Crib, pictures, and tapestries and stole the sacred furniture.

From that moment on, there is always a soldier who guards the altar of the Nativity, so as to prevent the repetition of such destructions. The presence of a soldier at the Grotto was maintained over time, even with the re-election of new local administrations and authorities. The status quo was so conserved.

In fact, I did not understand immediately why a guard was present inside the Basilica. But I was then very kindly and discreetly informed about it.

But even so, Franciscans kept being killed and the last case was as late as 1928.

Still nowadays in the Grotto, Catholics cannot celebrate Mass at the altar of the Nativity, where they can only keep four burning lamps. However, the Franciscans have the exclusive ownership of the manger. This is the only place in the Grotto where the Catholics have a right to officiate.

One really needs a great sense of humility and patience…to put up with these highly rude, rough and scornful manners of the Greek “Orthodox”.

Try and see…

As we were approaching the Grotto, the Greeks began their functions, which can go on and on between wails and singsongs, and kilos of incense that produces an impenetrable fog for hours… But some strong Catholics did not give any signs of fatigue (and I was among them), and the Greek Orthodox decided to leave and to allow us to stay for a few minutes in prayer and meditation in the place where the Child Jesus was born.

As they left the Grotto, they kept showing their arrogance and their officiant told us rudely to move away from his path and to quickly clear the area in front of the Grotto. Words thrown to the wind... So he left together with the intense smell of incense. I like the smell of incense, especially when a priest incenses the altar and the faithful, but still there is a limit to everything….and here it had being abundantly exceeded.

These ‘brethren’ have a truly poor sense of Christian charity. And I stop here with the comments, even though…

However, besides the manger, the friars own the convent and the adjacent ‘Nova House’ (religious house excellently organised to welcome pilgrims, just like any other modern though modest hotel).

Also the Franciscan friars have the keys of a door, at the opposite end of the Grotto, that leads to a corridor dug by them throughout the centuries which, in its turn, leads to several chapels: one dedicated to Saint Joseph, one to the Holy Innocents, one to Saint Girolamo, another one to Saint Eusebio of Cremona and, lastly, one to the two Roman matron Saints Paola and Eustochio. These last four saints have the honour to be buried here, beside the Grotto of the Nativity of Our Saviour.

Another spiritually and religiously interesting place in Bethlehem linked to the Catholic tradition is the Milk Grotto Church, an entire Franciscan propriety. According to the tradition, Our Lady was sheltered and welcomed here after the birth of the Child Jesus. One day, while feeding Him, a drop of milk fell on the ground. Immediately, all the walls of the grotto became white and, today, they are still white. But the particular characteristic of this place is that it is miraculous for those women who have difficulties conceiving or producing milk for their children. The friars who look after this Church are happy to hand out some small envelopes containing some powder scratched from the walls of the grotto, and this is often repaid with a small donation. Such powder, mixed with water or milk and drunk by both spouses with faith and prayer, was source of countless miracles. As a proof of this, the room adjacent to the grotto is full of ex-votos, photographs and testimonies of miraculous graces that sterile couples received. I took some envelopes, one for some friends of mine who have this problem and some others for whoever may wish it and need it. You just need to contact me privately to have them.

Although Bethlehem is a small town, it is rich in spirituality and it embraces many places of worship of extraordinary beauty.

Every day, for example, there is a procession of friars from the Church of Saint Catherina to the Grotto of the Nativity, which then continues through other underground chapels while reciting the appropriate prayers.

The House of Saint Joseph is also very nice. Here, a chapel dedicated to St. Joseph was built in the place where, according to the tradition, the Holy Family moved after the birth of the Divine Child. In fact, the Grotto of the Nativity accommodated them only for a short while because they soon found a house where to live, as Saint Matthew the apostle clearly testifies in his Gospel, “And entering into the house, they (the Magi) found the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they adored him.” (2, 11).

When you leave Bethlehem, although the waving of Palestinian flags on the houses and the patrols of the Arabic military police that speed through the streets may give you the impression that you are crossing a free and independent zone, you are also aware that you are leaving behind the Franciscan community of the Nativity, the Arab Catholic brethren, and a population whose only guilt is to be Palestinian and in the hands of the Israeli Zionist politics.

The Biblical fight between the Philistines (the ancestors of the Palestinians) and the Hebrews (the “ideal” ancestors of the current Jewish population) has not finished yet.

A veil of sadness wraps your soul as you leave Bethlehem behind you. Father Pio was feeling the same, at the same time, and, as our eyes crossed, we immediately understood each other’s feelings. We will come back, we will come back…

“Pilgrims!!! ….the pilgrimage goes on.....”, Father Pio was shouting to call us back to our pilgrimage.

We are all pilgrims on this earth, from the moment of our conception until our death. It is a long pilgrimage towards our origin, towards the Creator. There are also many stops along the way during which our soul needs to be fed and watered. And the Holy Land is for sure a great oasis where our soul can find a shelter, which is the best in the world.

The Son of God accompanies us during this wandering to the source of our memory. Let us follow Him without fear.

“BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE HELP IS FROM THEE: IN HIS HEART HE HATH DISPOSED TO ASCEND BY STEPS"

(Psalm 83, 6)

Filippo Fortunato Pilato, winter 2005