Bethlehem, the city where Jesus was born and the heart of the Christmas celebrations, once again welcomed the friars of the Custody of the Holy Land for the Epiphany. This is the celebration of the appearance of Jesus to all peoples, represented by the Three Magi. “The feast of the Epiphany goes beyond every nationalism,” said the Custos of the Holy Land, Fra Francesco Patton, greeting a delegation from the parish of Jerusalem, who accompanied him as he entered Bethlehem, […]
Forgiveness and reconciliation have always been at the heart of the Jubilee, in the special form of plenary indulgence. Not much room is devoted to the subject in the normal catechism and it is often treated with prejudice. However, it is central in order to live the Holy Year with awareness and enjoy its benefits to the full. We discussed this with Monsignor Vincenzo Peroni, a former master of the Pope’s ceremonies and today in service at the Custody of […]
Two days after 7 January, Christmas Day for the Oriental Churches (with the exception of the Armenians who celebrate it on 19 December), the friars of the Custody of the Holy Land visited the various Orthodox communities to exchange Christmas greetings. The understanding with the Greek Orthodox The morning started with the appointment at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate. In the speeches of the Custos of the Holy Land, Fra Francesco Patton, and of the Greek Orthodox Theophilos III, there also […]
The bond between the Custody of the Holy Land and the rest of the world is kept alive by a network of Commissariats with the task of promoting the mission of the Franciscans in the Holy Land. They include the Commissariat in Washington, the oldest in the United States and which recently celebrated the 125th anniversary of its foundation. A network for the Holy Land Among the initiatives organized by the Commissariats in support of the charities of the Custody […]
