A baby Jesus measuring eight feet, olive wood … the march of Palestinian children, typical products from Bethlehem. This and much more, in the city of the Nativity that is preparing for the feast dearest to people’s hearts.
Fr. IBRAHIM FALTAS, ofm
Custody of the Holy Land
“This is the fifth time we do this march. Children without Borders, for all Palestinian children from the whole of Palestine … from Gaza, Jenin, Jericho. Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jerusalem … A march organized by the Franciscan Friars, Father Peter Vasko’s Franciscan Foundation, the John Paul II Foundation and Children without Borders.”
Fr. IBRAHIM FALTAS, ofm
Custody of the Holy Land
” Every year we try to do something new; this year we made the Baby Jesus. We have a very famous artist, Zacharia, and then and so we had the idea of making this baby, because all of the world’s children, when anyone mentions Bethlehem, they immediately think of the Baby Jesus. This is why I wanted a big, eight-foot-long baby. The tree came from Italy, and was worked on by twenty workers, along with the artist. The tree weighed seven hundred kilograms, while the baby weighs three hundred … A tree and has become a child.”
Fr. IBRAHIM FALTAS, ofm
Custody of the Holy Land
”Today we inaugurate the Festival, the “Bethelehem, Capital of Christmas. Enjoy your land” Festival, We have wine: in Bethlehem there is the Cremisan; we have oil and bread … Bethlehem means ‘house of bread.’ It is Bethlehem’s first festival, and so, we will go on.”
Fr. IBRAHIM FALTAS, ofm
Custody of the Holy Land
”Everyone wanted to participate and everyone is happy. Even the representative of President Abu Mazen, Saeb Erekat, came, following the negotiations with Israel. And we hope that the birth of the Baby Jesus, and also the birth of the Palestinian state this year, will be the beginning of true peace between Palestinians and Israelis.”
Fr. IBRAHIM FALTAS, ofm
Custody of the Holy Land
”Here the Child was Born, the Child is a symbol of peace, love, tolerance, for all of those who truly want to live in peace. We hope that in the future, there may be bridges of peace between Palestinians and Israelis …. Merry Christmas to all!”
Source: Christian Media Center
