Last week, Fr. Francesco Ielpo, Custos of the Holy Land, met with several delegations of bishops, priests, and faithful from different regions of Italy. These meetings with the Custos of the Holy Land aim to strengthen ties with Italian dioceses and communities, and to encourage the arrival of pilgrims visiting the Holy Land. In fact, the scarcity of arrivals over the past two years has created numerous difficulties.
The invitation addressed to the faithful throughout the world to return to the Holy Land
The arrival of pilgrims is one of the topics on which the Heads of the Churches of Jerusalem are currently focusing. Indeed, the return of the faithful to the Holy Land is important from many points of view. In particular, pilgrimage represents a unique way of discovering faith, thanks to the closeness to the places where Jesus was born, lived, and gave His life.
Moreover, Fr. Francesco Ielpo has repeatedly recalled how pilgrimage is also a journey of discovering the seeds of hope that grow in this land. In fact, the Custos of the Holy Land has often stated that a pilgrimage to the Holy Land is a path of hope, not of suffering. To show pilgrims this message of hope, the Custos has asked the priests and friars who accompany the faithful to the Holy Land to highlight the seeds of hope and peace present both in Israel and in Palestine, without focusing exclusively on the tragedies that are marking the history of this land.
Read more: https://www.custodia.org/en/news/the-custos-of-the-holy-land-met-with-several-groups-visiting-from-italy-to-discuss-the-return-of-pilgrims/
By Riccardo Curti | custodia
