Jerusalem

Cardinal Pizzaballa calls Christians in the Holy Land to make the cross a way of life #Catholic Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, said the cross is not a sign of defeat or death but an expression of God’s love and the victory of life, urging Christians in the Holy Land to make it a way of life rooted in love and self-giving. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa presides over Mass on the eve of the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross at Christ the Redeemer Church in Taybeh, West Bank, Sept. 13, 2026. | Credit: Emad Diab/ACI MENA Pizzaballa made the remarks while presiding over a Mass on the eve of the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross at Christ the Redeemer Church in Taybeh, a predominantly Christian town in the West Bank.Bishop William Shomali, patriarchal vicar; Father Davide Meli; and Father Bashar Fawadleh, the parish priest, concelebrated the Mass.“The cross is our victory, and it is the victory of love,” Pizzaballa said. He added that Christ “chose to enter into the suffering of the cross out of love for us.” The patriarch stressed that Christians are “people of the cross” and that the sign defining their identity should be reflected in the way they live and in their relationships within their families, parishes, and wider communities.“We are called to live according to the logic of the cross,” he said.Pizzaballa noted that Christians do not need to seek out suffering, because they are already surrounded by suffering in many forms. Yet, he said, such experiences can become an opening for God’s presence in their lives.Fawadleh welcomed Pizzaballa to the celebration, telling him: “Your presence today is more than simply taking part in our feast; it is a sign of communion, consolation, and hope.” Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa lights the flame at the historic St. George Church, locally known as Al-Khader, Sept. 13, 2026, at Christ the Redeemer Church in Taybeh, West Bank. | Credit: Emad Diab/ACI MENA The celebration took place as Taybeh continues to face the repercussions of attacks by Israeli settlers, restrictions on movement and access to essential services (Palestinians living in the West Bank require Israeli permits to enter Jerusalem), declining employment opportunities, and continued emigration — all pressures that have placed additional strain on the town’s residents.Following the Mass, the faithful joined a candlelight procession through the streets of Taybeh to the historic St. George Church, known locally as Al-Khader. There, prayers were offered and pomegranates were blessed and distributed to participants before the traditional feast day flame was lit.This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Cardinal Pizzaballa calls Christians in the Holy Land to make the cross a way of life #Catholic Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, said the cross is not a sign of defeat or death but an expression of God’s love and the victory of life, urging Christians in the Holy Land to make it a way of life rooted in love and self-giving. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa presides over Mass on the eve of the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross at Christ the Redeemer Church in Taybeh, West Bank, Sept. 13, 2026. | Credit: Emad Diab/ACI MENA Pizzaballa made the remarks while presiding over a Mass on the eve of the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross at Christ the Redeemer Church in Taybeh, a predominantly Christian town in the West Bank.Bishop William Shomali, patriarchal vicar; Father Davide Meli; and Father Bashar Fawadleh, the parish priest, concelebrated the Mass.“The cross is our victory, and it is the victory of love,” Pizzaballa said. He added that Christ “chose to enter into the suffering of the cross out of love for us.” The patriarch stressed that Christians are “people of the cross” and that the sign defining their identity should be reflected in the way they live and in their relationships within their families, parishes, and wider communities.“We are called to live according to the logic of the cross,” he said.Pizzaballa noted that Christians do not need to seek out suffering, because they are already surrounded by suffering in many forms. Yet, he said, such experiences can become an opening for God’s presence in their lives.Fawadleh welcomed Pizzaballa to the celebration, telling him: “Your presence today is more than simply taking part in our feast; it is a sign of communion, consolation, and hope.” Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa lights the flame at the historic St. George Church, locally known as Al-Khader, Sept. 13, 2026, at Christ the Redeemer Church in Taybeh, West Bank. | Credit: Emad Diab/ACI MENA The celebration took place as Taybeh continues to face the repercussions of attacks by Israeli settlers, restrictions on movement and access to essential services (Palestinians living in the West Bank require Israeli permits to enter Jerusalem), declining employment opportunities, and continued emigration — all pressures that have placed additional strain on the town’s residents.Following the Mass, the faithful joined a candlelight procession through the streets of Taybeh to the historic St. George Church, known locally as Al-Khader. There, prayers were offered and pomegranates were blessed and distributed to participants before the traditional feast day flame was lit.This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The Latin patrarch presided over Mass on the eve of the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Taybeh, calling on Christians to live the “logic of the cross” through love and self-giving.

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Israeli court acquits nun’s attacker, orders up to 6 years in psychiatric care #Catholic An Israeli court has acquitted a West Bank settler who assaulted a French Catholic sister near Mount Zion in Jerusalem earlier this year, ordering up to six years in a psychiatric facility, Israeli media reported.Jerusalem Magistrate Court Judge Ophir Tischler acquitted Yona Schreiber citing an assessment from a district psychiatrist that found Schreiber was experiencing a psychotic episode during the attack and could not be found criminally responsible, according to The Jerusalem Post.The Aug. 26 ruling ordered Schreiber to be committed to an inpatient treatment facility for a maximum six years, though he may be released early if a psychiatric council determines his mental condition to be improved.The psychiatric assessment further diagnosed Schreiber with schizophrenia, media reports said. The assessment noted that a lack of conclusive evidence showing how Schreiber’s mental state led him to carry out the attack on the religious sister but said the illness influenced his actions nonetheless.Schreiber was arrested and charged in April with assault and hostility toward a religious group for pushing a Catholic sister to the ground and kicking her in the head. The April 28 assault took place on Mount Zion near King David’s Tomb, steps from Dormition Abbey.Videos of the attack circulated on social media, fueling a backlash and further outrage over persistent attacks against Christians in Israel and the West Bank.At the time, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it strongly condemned Schreiber’s actions, writing in an April 29 social media post: “Israel remains firmly committed to safeguarding freedom of religion and freedom of worship for all faiths, and to ensuring that Jerusalem remains a city where every community can live, pray, and practice its faith in safety and dignity.”
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Israeli court acquits nun’s attacker, orders up to 6 years in psychiatric care #Catholic An Israeli court has acquitted a West Bank settler who assaulted a French Catholic sister near Mount Zion in Jerusalem earlier this year, ordering up to six years in a psychiatric facility, Israeli media reported.Jerusalem Magistrate Court Judge Ophir Tischler acquitted Yona Schreiber citing an assessment from a district psychiatrist that found Schreiber was experiencing a psychotic episode during the attack and could not be found criminally responsible, according to The Jerusalem Post.The Aug. 26 ruling ordered Schreiber to be committed to an inpatient treatment facility for a maximum six years, though he may be released early if a psychiatric council determines his mental condition to be improved.The psychiatric assessment further diagnosed Schreiber with schizophrenia, media reports said. The assessment noted that a lack of conclusive evidence showing how Schreiber’s mental state led him to carry out the attack on the religious sister but said the illness influenced his actions nonetheless.Schreiber was arrested and charged in April with assault and hostility toward a religious group for pushing a Catholic sister to the ground and kicking her in the head. The April 28 assault took place on Mount Zion near King David’s Tomb, steps from Dormition Abbey.Videos of the attack circulated on social media, fueling a backlash and further outrage over persistent attacks against Christians in Israel and the West Bank.At the time, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it strongly condemned Schreiber’s actions, writing in an April 29 social media post: “Israel remains firmly committed to safeguarding freedom of religion and freedom of worship for all faiths, and to ensuring that Jerusalem remains a city where every community can live, pray, and practice its faith in safety and dignity.”

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The Aug. 26 ruling ordered Yona Schreiber to be committed to an inpatient treatment facility for a maximum six years, though he may be released early at the discretion of the facility.

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