This page provides links to documents and videos which give additional information about the situation of Christians in the Holy Land and of all who live in the Palestinian territories, and to internet sites which contain more information about the Holy Land and the issues that divide it. We do not necessarily endorse all the opinions and views expressed on external sites, though we believe that the factual material presented on the ones to which we link here is generally true and accurate. Your browser will open all the links on this page in new tabs or windows.
Pope Francis made an official visit to the Holy Land in May, 2014. The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land (the bishops of the different Catholic rites), created a 'Media Commission' to co-ordinate publicity for the visit. As an important part of this effort, the Commission established a website which was and is intended to be the primary on-line source of information about the Pope's visit It includes transcripts of all the major sermons and addresses which he gave while he was there, and also has links to a great deal of background information about the Holy Land and previous papal visits. Well worth a visit!
One of our Order's principal goals is to "sustain and aid…the Catholic Church in the Holy Land". To do this both wisely and effectively it is important to gain a clear understanding of who the Christians there are, and why they are leaving. Jeff Abood, a Member of the North Central Lieutenancy, has prepared and given a number of presentations, within and outside the Order, about the situation of Christians in the Holy Land.
This video records a talk which he gave at Borromeo Seminary, Cleveland in March 2016. This is a narrated 25 minute slide presentation which attempts to portray the realities of life for Palestinian Christians in the Holy Land.
The educational booklet which we originally published here in 2012 was extended and expanded into two volumes in March, 2013, a third volume was added in September, 2014, a fourth volume in October, 2015, and a fifth volume was added in November, 2016. The first volume contains copies of official statements and interviews with previous Popes and Patriarchs and our late Grand Master, Cardinal John Foley, about this issue. The last page of this volume should contain live links to two additional internet videos, but only the text labels appear in the booklet. The full links can be found below. The second volume contains articles depicting the life of Catholics in the Holy Land in more detail (focusing on those living in Palestine and Israel). The third volume contains additional articles from numerous sources, building on and extending the material in the first two volumes, and adding some information about Pope Francis's visit to the Holy Land in May, 2014. The fourth and fifth volumes contain further additional articles and statements, building on and extending the material in the first three volumes, and adding information about more recent events and developments.
In thinking about the Christian population of the Holy Land, it is usual to concentrate on the Arabic-speaking Palestinian Christians, whose ancestors have lived in the area since the time of Christ. There is, however, a substantial and increasing population of Hebrew-speaking Christians living in Israel, many of whom are the children of migrant workers or refugees, and most of whom are not Israeli citizens but have grown up knowing no home other than Israel. The St. James Vicariate for Hebrew Speaking Catholics in Israel has the special task of ministering to this population.
This video shows a presentation made by Fr David Neuhaus, the Patriarchal Vicar, at the North Central Lieutenancy's 2014 Investiture, setting out some of the problems encountered by Hebrew-speaking Christian children and their parents in Israel, and describing the efforts that are being made by the Vicariate to address them.
Produced in 2009 by a group including almost all the leaders of the Christian Churches in the Holy land, this document sets out to be: "the Christian Palestinians' word to the world about what is happening in Palestine." The Kairos website contains links to much additional material, updating and expanding on the contents of the original Document.
10-minute YouTube video presentation about the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
Caritas Jerusalem is a humanitarian and development organization that represents the socio-pastoral services of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land. It was founded in 1967 in the aftermath of the Six Day War. Caritas Jerusalem beneficiaries number over 30,000 individuals from all religious backgrounds in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Caritas Jerusalem is a member of Caritas Internationalis, a confederation of 165 Caritas organizations operating in more than 200 countries.
Bethlehem University was founded in October 1973 and sponsored by the Vatican and the De La Salle Christian Brothers. It was the first University in the West Bank and was and remains the first and only Catholic University in Palestine. This short fact sheet gives a little more information about the University, and Across the Divide, a documentary video produced by Salt & Light, a major Catholic media organization, based in Canada, recently portrayed various aspects of the University's history and mission in detail.
Web page which contains individual video presentations about many of the Christian denominations with significant presences in the Holy Land.
In October. 2016, a conservation team from the National Technical University of Athens was allowed to remove some of the marble cladding and inspect some of the normally hidden portions of the Holy Sepulchre in its basilica in Jerusalem. This article and this video describe and show some of their findings.
This site offers a huge number of videos and images of the Holy Land and its people.
Website of Israel's oldest daily newspaper. A useful source of information and opinion for understanding the world as viewed from Israel.