Now as in the past in the Holy Land, Christians form a small church. For various social, political and economic reasons, many of them -- especially in recent years -- have left the Holy Land in sea...
Now as in the past in the Holy Land, Christians form a small church. For various social, political and economic reasons, many of them -- especially in recent years -- have left the Holy Land in search of a better, more serene life. Unfortunately for these communities, this emigration continues.Today, Palestinian Christians, those remaining in Israel and Palestine and those dispersed by the wars of 1948 and 1967, number around 500,000 or 6% of the worldwide Palestinian population. Less than 200,000 live in Israel or Palestine: 120,000 in Israel and 50,000 in the Palestinian Territories. The Arab Christian population in the Holy Land is just over 2%. Christians who live in the land of Jesus fall into two main groups: Catholics and Orthodox. The Catholics include those of the Latin-rite, as well as minorities like the Maronites, Chaldeans, Syrians and Armenians. Then there is the Greek-Melkite Byzantine rite, in communion with Rome since 1724. These Catholics follow the Eastern traditions they share with the Orthodox Church. Melkites represent the majority of those in Galilee. And here, as also in the parishes of the Palestinian Territories, an unprecedented ecumenical event occurred in the midst of this multitude of churches: Orthodox Christians celebrated Christmas on December 25th with their Catholic brothers, who, in turn, celebrated Easter on the same variable date as the Orthodox. However, in Bethlehem and Jerusalem, Catholics and Orthodox Christians maintained their own dates. The exchange of wishes and the many opportunities for friendship, though, have lead to a concrete ecumenical dialogue, made manifest by a concert of voices. Among Orthodox Christians, the most numerous are those who belong to the Greek Church, but there are also communities of Syrians, Copts, the Abyssinians (or Ethiopians) and Armenians. Then there are the various Protestant denominations, such as Lutherans, Anglicans and Baptists, whose presence dates back to the last century. The Christian population is almost entirely Arabic with the exception of the Church hierarchy, which often is not indigenous, especially in the Orthodox Churches. Beyond the various linguistic and cultural traditions, it must be remembered that these churches and Christian communities have been living within a socially and politically Islamic majority. They are different churches and different liturgies. Yet far from undermining unity, this multifaceted Christian reality manifests it. The cultural and spiritual heritage of the Eastern Churches is the patrimony of the Universal Church. That is why those who too simplistically present this Mother Church of Jerusalem as a divided Church give a distorted impression. Fundamentally, despite the differences that sometimes make tensions inevitable, the eyes and heart of any true Christian of any denomination turn to the empty tomb. And so the Holy Sepulchre, a Christian symbol shared by many denominations, becomes a symbol of a unique Church not divided, then, but united around the one Christ resurrected.
