Vatican’s Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa told worshippers at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem that suffering in Gaza endures despite a halt in Israel's war, but hope is still present.
Hundreds of faithful had packed the pews long before the Christmas midnight mass service began, filling the ancient space with murmurs, anticipation and prayer.
Security was tight ahead of the arrival of senior Palestinian officials and foreign dignitaries, with scout leaders, who had led marching bands through Bethlehem earlier in the day, now stationed at the church’s narrow doors, checking tickets.
Clergy dressed in white chanted steadily throughout the service, largely in Latin and Italian, as diplomats were ushered to the front rows and their security details stood watch from the back. A stir rippled through the crowd when Palestinian Vice President Hussein Al Sheikh entered the church, following a day of reports suggesting Israeli forces might block his arrival in Bethlehem.
Amid the movement and protocol, worshippers reacted in quieter ways, some visibly tired by the length of the service, others watching the unfolding arrivals with interest, and some were moved to tears.
Shortly after 11pm, the congregation was pressed to the sides of the aisle to make way for the procession of Cardinal Pizzaballa, who paused every few steps to bless the crowds as he moved towards the altar.
In his sermon, delivered more than an hour later, the patriarch said he sensed a return of life and joy to Bethlehem.
“I felt a very beautiful atmosphere in Bethlehem today,” Cardinal Pizzaballa said. “After a long period, I felt the joy and the sound of life, the feeling and spirit of Christmas. I hope that the world will see the other side of the Holy Land, which is not only conflict and war, but life and joy and commitment to life and joy.”
Turning to Gaza, which he visited last week, he said that while the war had stopped, its human cost remained stark.
“Despite the cessation of the war, suffering is still present in Gaza,” he said. “Families live in the rubble, and the future appears fragile and uncertain.”
Yet, he added, Christmas still carried a message of renewal for Gazans.
“The wounds are deep, yet here, too, the proclamation of Christmas resounds,” Cardinal Pizzaballa said. “When I met them, I was struck by their strength and desire to start over, their ability to rejoice again, their determination to rebuild devastated lives from scratch.
“I think they are really having their own special Christmas of new birth and life right now. They are a beautiful testimony to us today.”
For two years, visitors could walk through the Church of the Nativity and enter the grotto with barely another soul in sight. With a ceasefire now in place in Gaza, the crowds have returned, and Bethlehem was once again feeling the Christmas spirit.
“Honestly, I feel amazing,” said Selene Nastas, 17. “It's refreshing to go back and [see] everything becoming normal again.
