Christmas in the Holy Lands

Christmas ceremonies are taking place in areas of Israel and the West Bank, the birthplace of Christianity, with the presence of Christian pilgrims and the remaining Christians in the Holy Lands. The most important ceremonies have been held in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ. At midnight, which is said to be the hour of Jesus Christ's birth, these ceremonies reached their peak. On Christmas Eve, thousands of Christian pilgrims from around the world, especially from Latin America and Europe, gathered alongside the remaining Christians in the West Bank at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Senior officials of the Palestinian Authority, who are themselves Muslim, participated in the Eucharistic ceremony at the Church of the Nativity to honor Christmas and Christians. The large tree at the Church of the Nativity was decorated with the Palestinian flag. Fouad Twal, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem who visited Bethlehem, called on followers of all monotheistic religions to practice true patience in his speech at the Church of the Nativity. He referred to a wall that Israel has built around itself for years 'to combat terrorism' and considered it contrary to humanity. Simultaneously, in Nazareth, in northern Israel, where extensive preparations for Christmas ceremonies had been underway for days, the ceremonies peaked on Christmas Eve. After his childhood in Bethlehem, Jesus Christ lived and worked as a carpenter in Nazareth before heading to Jerusalem. Thousands of Christian pilgrims who come to the Holy Lands for Christmas ceremonies visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the 'Resurrection'), the burial site of Jesus Christ, and the streets where Jesus was led to crucifixion (the ten stations of the 'Via Dolorosa'). This year's Christian ceremonies are taking place in the Holy Lands after a very difficult and deadly year. The situation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has deteriorated since late spring due to the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers and the subsequent horrific murder of a Palestinian teenager. Following the 51-day war between the Israeli army and Hamas last summer, which resulted in the deaths of over 2,100 Palestinians and 73 Israelis, widespread unrest has occurred in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Pope Francis, who became the leader of the Vatican and the papacy in March 2013, has yet to visit the Holy Lands. On Wednesday night, just before the Eucharistic ceremony in the Vatican, Pope Francis expressed his condolences to several Christian refugees in Iraq during a satellite phone call, saying he is thinking of many Christian children and elderly in the Middle East who are suffering greatly during this holiday. With the escalation of Middle Eastern wars and the increasing dangers posed by the terrorist group 'Islamic State' (formerly ISIS), Christians in Iraq and Syria are facing the most dire conditions they have experienced in hundreds of years.