Monday, September 8th. The Custos of the Holy Land, Brother Pierbattista Pizzaballa, met with a group of sixty Italian parliamentarians on pilgrimage in the Holy Land. For the fifth time, those Italian parliamentarians who so desired were able to make a pilgrimage to Christian holy places (Turkey, with Ephesus in particular; St. James of Compostella in Spain; Greece, with Mount Athos…). The first pilgrimage in 2004 was organized by His Excellency Mons. Salvatore Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life, with the Holy Land as its destination. Responding to the questions of the Franciscan Media Center about the growing success of this parliamentarian pilgrimage, Mons. Fisichella replied, "This year there are twice as many pilgrims as in the first pilgrimage of 2004."
A "meditative journey" was proposed by Mons. Fisichella, whom they know well since he has been "on pilgrimage" with them for ten years, deepening their faith.
Back in the Holy Land this year, the pilgrimage brings together parliamentarians of both the majority and the opposition, with Senate President Renato Schifani at their head, but also the Minister of Justice, Angelino Alfano. "One of the beautiful experiences of this pilgrimage is that it allows deputies representing all the parliamentary factions to share their faith." Each one in his own way, enriched by the experience of this pilgrimage, will translate its fruits into his reflection and his decision-making at the local and national level, explains Mons. Fisichella.
Arriving by plane to the Negev on September 4th, the parliamentarians, accompanied by members of their families, went by bus to Saint Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai. After returning to Eilat, they continued to the Galilee to visit the holy places. Although they arrived in Tiberias late, they kept to the program that had scheduled a meeting with Brother Stefano De Luca ofm of the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum. Fatigue did not keep them from being attentive and demonstrating their interest in understanding the importance of the town of Capernaum, which they would visit the next day, as well as in the project for a pilgrims reception center that was presented to them.
The next day, the Senate President, House Vice President Maurizio Lupi, Mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno, and Mons. Fisichella shared their meal with Brother Stefano and with Tommaso Saltini of the ATS NGO, who were able to continue the presentation of this Custody project. These leading figures and the other deputies interested by the initiative expressed their desire to promote it and see it carried out.
Tabgha, with the Primacy of Saint Peter and Cana, as well as the other holy places in the care of the Custody were also visited by the group.
Figuring in the Sunday and Monday program were a visit to Bethlehem, where the group celebrated Mass in the Crusaders Chapel, and to the holy places in Jerusalem, as well as the Temple Mount, dominated by the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa mosque, the Western Wall, and the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum.
On Sunday Mr. Renato Schifani and his wife, along with a small entourage, made a private visit to the Holy Sepulcher, accompanied by Brothers Raffaello Tonello and Alessandro Coniglio, before having a private meeting with the Custos, Brother Pierbattista Pizzaballa.
Late Monday morning, the Custos went to Notre Dame Center to share the group’s meal before meeting them more formally in the John Paul II Auditorium.
During this 40-minute meeting, Brother Pierbattista briefly presented the Custody’s activities before responding to the deputies’ questions. "We’ll do it like in the House," quipped Maurizio Lupi, who organized the discussion. The parliamentarians had all kinds of questions: "What liberty of movement is there in the country?" "Is the evangelization of non-Christians possible in the country?" "Do you receive support from the Israeli Ministry of Tourism?" "What is the nature of the relations of the Custody with the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority?" "Do you also suffer from the crisis in vocations?" "What are the Custody’s projects in terms of archaeological research and heritage development?" "Who are the pilgrims who come to the Holy Land?" "Do you have a relationship with Italian volunteerism?" "Are there meetings among the religious leaders of Jews, Christians and Muslims?" "What is the condition of Christians in the Holy Land?" "Do Italian Christians live here?"
The Custos was warmly thanked for his presentation and for the reception they received from the Custody in general during their visit, and a plaque representing the House of Deputies, the Palazzo Montecitorio, was presented to him.
Like every pilgrim who meets the Custos of the Holy Land, each left with a packet containing a rosary, the Franciscan Presence pamphlet, a meditation on the Way of the Cross and a folder about the ATS ONG.
The Custos of the Holy Land joined them once again for a "gala dinner" that evening, which was the occasion for the pilgrims to meet the Italian Ambassador to the Israeli State and the Italian Consul General for the Palestinian Authority.
There are something more than 10,000 Italians in Israel: a growing majority of Jews and a few Christian volunteers, embassy and consulate employees and religious brothers and sisters.
A meeting with the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Mons. Fouad Twal, on Tuesday, September 9th, concluded the voyage of the parliamentarians, almost "ordinary" pilgrims.
MAB
A "meditative journey" was proposed by Mons. Fisichella, whom they know well since he has been "on pilgrimage" with them for ten years, deepening their faith.
Back in the Holy Land this year, the pilgrimage brings together parliamentarians of both the majority and the opposition, with Senate President Renato Schifani at their head, but also the Minister of Justice, Angelino Alfano. "One of the beautiful experiences of this pilgrimage is that it allows deputies representing all the parliamentary factions to share their faith." Each one in his own way, enriched by the experience of this pilgrimage, will translate its fruits into his reflection and his decision-making at the local and national level, explains Mons. Fisichella.
Arriving by plane to the Negev on September 4th, the parliamentarians, accompanied by members of their families, went by bus to Saint Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai. After returning to Eilat, they continued to the Galilee to visit the holy places. Although they arrived in Tiberias late, they kept to the program that had scheduled a meeting with Brother Stefano De Luca ofm of the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum. Fatigue did not keep them from being attentive and demonstrating their interest in understanding the importance of the town of Capernaum, which they would visit the next day, as well as in the project for a pilgrims reception center that was presented to them.
The next day, the Senate President, House Vice President Maurizio Lupi, Mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno, and Mons. Fisichella shared their meal with Brother Stefano and with Tommaso Saltini of the ATS NGO, who were able to continue the presentation of this Custody project. These leading figures and the other deputies interested by the initiative expressed their desire to promote it and see it carried out.
Tabgha, with the Primacy of Saint Peter and Cana, as well as the other holy places in the care of the Custody were also visited by the group.
Figuring in the Sunday and Monday program were a visit to Bethlehem, where the group celebrated Mass in the Crusaders Chapel, and to the holy places in Jerusalem, as well as the Temple Mount, dominated by the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa mosque, the Western Wall, and the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum.
On Sunday Mr. Renato Schifani and his wife, along with a small entourage, made a private visit to the Holy Sepulcher, accompanied by Brothers Raffaello Tonello and Alessandro Coniglio, before having a private meeting with the Custos, Brother Pierbattista Pizzaballa.
Late Monday morning, the Custos went to Notre Dame Center to share the group’s meal before meeting them more formally in the John Paul II Auditorium.
During this 40-minute meeting, Brother Pierbattista briefly presented the Custody’s activities before responding to the deputies’ questions. "We’ll do it like in the House," quipped Maurizio Lupi, who organized the discussion. The parliamentarians had all kinds of questions: "What liberty of movement is there in the country?" "Is the evangelization of non-Christians possible in the country?" "Do you receive support from the Israeli Ministry of Tourism?" "What is the nature of the relations of the Custody with the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority?" "Do you also suffer from the crisis in vocations?" "What are the Custody’s projects in terms of archaeological research and heritage development?" "Who are the pilgrims who come to the Holy Land?" "Do you have a relationship with Italian volunteerism?" "Are there meetings among the religious leaders of Jews, Christians and Muslims?" "What is the condition of Christians in the Holy Land?" "Do Italian Christians live here?"
The Custos was warmly thanked for his presentation and for the reception they received from the Custody in general during their visit, and a plaque representing the House of Deputies, the Palazzo Montecitorio, was presented to him.
Like every pilgrim who meets the Custos of the Holy Land, each left with a packet containing a rosary, the Franciscan Presence pamphlet, a meditation on the Way of the Cross and a folder about the ATS ONG.
The Custos of the Holy Land joined them once again for a "gala dinner" that evening, which was the occasion for the pilgrims to meet the Italian Ambassador to the Israeli State and the Italian Consul General for the Palestinian Authority.
There are something more than 10,000 Italians in Israel: a growing majority of Jews and a few Christian volunteers, embassy and consulate employees and religious brothers and sisters.
A meeting with the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Mons. Fouad Twal, on Tuesday, September 9th, concluded the voyage of the parliamentarians, almost "ordinary" pilgrims.
MAB