243. Jerusalem- Sixty-two Years of Anguish

Posted by Eva Ulian January 17, 2011

243. Jerusalem- Sixty-two Years of Anguish

The Patriarch of Jerusalem, centre, the Bishop of Vittorio Veneto on his right
and another Prelate from the Jerusalem Church on his left during the
the "Our Father"

Sixty-two years of anguish and war are too many. Where have we gone wrong? This is how Fouard Twal, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem greets us in his homily at the Cathedral in Vittorio Veneto yesterday on occasion of the City’s Patron Saint, Titian.

The Prelate carries the urn containing the relics of the
Patron Saint of Vittorio Veneto- Saint Titian

Fouard Twal is the first Arab Catholic priest to become Bishop in 1995 of an Arab country in North Africa, Tunisia and then succeed as Patriarch of Jerusalem in 2008.

The Patriarch elevating the Chalice containing the Blood of Christ.

Jerusalem, the beautiful; Jerusalem the complex, where Peace is a hard word to pronounce. Jerusalem where Jesus lived a life shielded from the public for many years; where He cured so many people, and rose others from the dead. The city whose narrow streets Jesus walked, bearing His cross, falling on the stones, falling again and again... until the Mount of Golgotha.

Part of the Congregation in the Nave of the Cathedral

The sacred city because sacred feet had tread upon its soil, where Calvary took place and hides the many holy moments Jesus revealed Himself. And because of this it is the city that belongs to all Christians- and because of this Jerusalem must remain open, accessible, even though every effort is made to eliminate the survival of Christian citizens to abide within its wall.

Blessing of the Tabernacle

A city where the life of Christians is not easy, where they often become separated from loved ones, so Christian families can no longer exist. A city where there is no longer trust, a city where there is no longer happiness, a city where dialogue exists even when moments of tension urges that peace must be sought at all costs between Catholics, Jews and Muslims. Sixty-two years of this is simply just too much... where have we all gone wrong? What have we not understood?