by Jim Rygelski, Review Managing Editor
Catholic pilgrims seeking to retrace the life of Christ can easily find its sacred remnants and - with caution - visit them safely. Almost everything Christ did happened within the modern state of Israel, a country whose square mileage is just a bit more than the area encompassed by the 11-county St. Louis Archdiocese. But those making such a pilgrimage will also see firsthand a nation troubled by the hatred and mistrust that have plagued it since long before the birth of the Prince of Peace. The Old Testament land "flowing with milk and honey" has absorbed the blood shed by uncountable numbers of Jews and Arabs fighting for both a place to live and a belief in their God.
Often caught in the middle are the residents of Palestinian descent who are Christians. Mostly Catholic, they are estimated at less than 2 percent of the 8.6 million population. And their numbers are dwindling rapidly. Six days is all that those who accept the Bible literally believe God used to create the world. It also is the time set aside by Christians to commemorate the period from Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday through His death on Good Friday. And six days is all the Israeli army needed in June 1967 to expand the country's borders into both the West Bank of the Jordan River east of Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip near Egypt. The aftermath of that action continues to affect those living there. The turf Jesus walked over and preached in covers roughly 150 miles, about half the distance from St. Louis to Chicago. Catholic pilgrims to Israel can: Stand in the remains of the home where the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would bear the Savior of the human race. Kiss the spot over which Jesus was born. Traipse through the town where He turned water into fine wedding wine, the first of His many miracles. Gaze at the lake (Sea of Galilee) from which He summoned the apostles and near which He many times outlined the way to eternal life. Climb the mount on which He was transfigured. Overlook the "Golden Gate" entrance into Jerusalem through which He entered triumphantly to shouts of "hosanna." ïMeditate inside the location of the Last Supper and then follow part of the actual path He took to the Garden of Gethsemane, seeing the olive trees that were saplings on that agonizing evening of betrayal.
Touch the cold stone on the top of Golgotha that supported His cross of crucifixion. Walk in and out of the recreated tomb on the site of the original sepulcher and from where He rose from the dead on Easter. Look upward from the spot He ascended into heaven 40 days later. And while it is easy to be distracted by the concrete and stone churches and monuments that cover much of these locations, it's also just as easy to look beyond them and at the still green and fertile lands around them, especially in Galilee. There one sees the same hilly landscape that Jesus did, the same placid lake He used as a focal point for such presentations as the beatitudes and the miraculous multiplication of a few loaves of bread and fish. Most importantly, one breathes the same clean air He and His followers did. But to get to these locations where Our Lord dwelled among us will sometimes require being stopped and questioned by armed Israeli soldiers at "checkpoints" as they search for Palestinian terrorists. Bethlehem is a particular hot spot, with restrictive curfews. Some days the entire city of Christ's birth is closed to both incoming and outgoing traffic, as it was after the recent shooting there of an Israeli soldier. Palestinian suicide bombers have struck mainly in Jewish residential sections far outside the Old City or in disputed territories such as Gaza, areas most Catholic pilgrims won't visit. One should remember, however, that armed Palestinian Muslims took over the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem - one of Christendom's most hallowed spots - for more than a month last spring. Israeli soldiers, in searching for terrorists, have also killed or brought grief to innocent Palestinians. Roots of unresolved conflict The roots of the conflict go back to the Old Testament genealogy of Isaac, son of Abraham and father of Jacob (whose 12 sons became the tribes of Israel) and Isaac's half-brother, Ishmael, from whom the Arab Muslims claim their lineage. By the time of Christ, the territory in and around Jerusalem was known as Palestine and ruled by the Romans. They allowed the Jews to practice their own religion and run their own courts as long as they paid their taxes (Jews were even hired to collect them) and made no political problems. Remnants of the 1948 war to create the modern state of Israel still exist. The highway connecting Jerusalem with Ben Gurion Airport outside the capital city of Tel Aviv is lined with the remains of armored vehicles blown up by Arabs trying to prevent the occupants from bringing food to Jewish settlers. Just as noticeable are the newer Israeli settlements on the hillsides around Jerusalem. The sun glistening off their white limestone is a constant irritation to Palestinians, who say their people were illegally evicted by the government to allow for those housing developments. The recently elected Israeli government vows to continue settlements in disputed areas while Palestinian insurgents promise to continue their armed resistance to such efforts. Searching for peace, justice In the meantime, the Palestinian Christians go about their daily routines almost a silent minority. They hear Mass in Arabic, the same language their fellow Palestinian Muslims pray in (most public signs in Israel are in Hebrew, Arabic and English). Their children, with those of Muslims, attend schools operated by the Franciscans. The children of both wear American designer clothes, use cell phones and watch television shows in Arabic that to the outsider look curiously like the kinds of programming people in the United States watch. Like their Palestinian brethren who are Muslims, the Christians have no legal citizenship within Israel though they pay taxes to it. They can receive government benefits after going through the time-consuming and sometimes frustrating process of proving residency. These Palestinian Christians are proud of their heritage, and many want to stay in what one woman called "the country of Jesus." "Every time I visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and I've been there hundreds of times, I feel something different. I feel very lucky to be here," said Raffoul Rofa, a 31-year-old paralegal in the Human Rights Legal Center operated by the Latin Patriarchate (Jerusalem's Roman Catholic Diocese). He is studying to pass the Israeli bar exam, noting that few Palestinians are able to practice law there. But many of those with family connections in other countries and the skills to find jobs elsewhere are either leaving or seriously considering doing so. "This land without Christians is just stones," said Francis Tams, a 34-year-old Palestinian with a wife and two children living in a suburb of Jerusalem. An accountant, he wants to stay and help other Christians to do so. Added to their fears is the not always subtle discrimination they experience from the Palestinian Muslims, who make up 45 percent of Israel's population and are having children at a faster rate than the Jews. The Palestinians who believe in Allah taunt the Christian Palestinians by calling them "the new crusaders." Many Palestinian Christians depend on the tourist trade for their livelihood and have seen their incomes dwindle in relation to the drastic drop-off of visitors in the past two years, since the recent "Intifadah" (Arabic for "throwing off") uprisings began by Palestinian extremists against the government. Meanwhile many moderate Jews and Palestinians are leaving. The remaining Christians pray not only for peace but also for lives with dignity. Future entries in this series will look at shrines related to the life of Christ with companion articles about the Christians who live near them.
|
JERUSALEM - The words of Jesus Christ, recorded in the Gospel of St. Luke (chapter 19, verses 41-42), are as meaningful for the Holy Land today as they were when He said them nearly 2,000 years ago. 
Walk the "Way of Sorrows" route through the Old City that He was forced to trudge along while carrying the block of wood through which His hands would be nailed.
