Historic agreement signed in Bethlehem
On September 2nd an important agreement was signed in Bethlehem concerning the restoration of the roof of the Church of the Nativity of Jesus. The agreement was signed by the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III and the representative of the Armenian Patriarch Torkom II Manoogian. The roof, left without any real maintenance since its previous restoration in 1832, was greatly damaged. Full story
Cautious Hopes for Direct Talks in Washington
The first direct peace talks for nearly two years between Israel and the Palestinians have begun in Washington, marking the start of what American officials hope will be a series of meetings leading to the creation of a Palestinian state. Yesterday President Barack Obama said he was “cautiously hopeful” about the talks after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House. Full story
Religious Freedom Growing in Turkey?
The government of Turkey has reopened the St. Paul Church in Tarsus and an ancient Orthodox monastery in Trabzon as places of worship, claiming it is moving the country towards greater religious freedom. Critics, however, have called the limited lifting of restrictions as a public relations exercise, designed to show tolerance as part of Turkey’s bid for EU membership. Full story
Terra Santa News - August 27, 2010
This week: Pilgrims in the Holy Land, record numbers in 2010. A smiling and discrete presence of prayer and dedication to the poorest of the poor, in Jerusalem and in Gaza: the work of the Missionaries of Charity in the Holy Land, 100 years after the birth of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Four days of meetings, dialogue, and celebrations. More than 200 participated in the Focolare Meeting. Nazareth, privileged destination for worldwide Catholic scouting. Full story
Israel Issues a Spate of Demolition Orders, Causing Violence
The Israeli Defence Force destroyed a Palestinian village on July 19th. Its inhabitants had been given eviction notices a month earlier and had no choice but to leave after Israeli authorities cut off their water supply. According to Haaretz, the IDF demolished about 55 structures in the West Bank village of Farasiya. In another demolition order, a Bedouin village in the Negev desert was destroyed July 28th. Full story
Books
Shedding Light on Qumran Scrolls
Last year, all the mysterious manuscripts discovered in 1947 in a cave in Qumran were finally published. To coincide with this milestone, Geza Vermes, one of the world’s leading scholars on the Dead Sea Scrolls, has written this concise and timely work, useful to anyone unfamiliar with the Scrolls and wants to better understand their significance.
Audio & Video
Guardians of Salvation's Sources
The History of Salvation through the sanctuaries of the Holy Land, in a narration which - starting from Mount Nebo and the role of the prophets in the Biblical events - guides us to the places of the earthly experience of Jesus and Emmaus and the life of the first Christian community. These, in brief, are the contents of the DVD Terra Sancta. Custodies of the sources of Salvation.
Itineraries
Excursion to Wadi Paran: Land of Abraham, Hagar and Ismael
Wadi Paran is one of the widest wadis in the whole of the Holy Land. It takes its name from a desert of Biblical memory. Descending into the pebbly bed of the wadi Paran, one immediately notices the strong contrast in colour between the surrounding ochre-yellow mountains and the very white bottom of the wadi. Here Hagar and her son Ismael were turned out by Abraham.
