Latest News – Holy Land News

As he prepares to return to the Vatican after his hospitalization and treatment for bilateral pneumonia, Pope Francis renews his call for peace, urging an end to violence in Gaza and other conflict zones and expresses his gratitude for global efforts towards dialogue, especially in the South Caucasus.

As the death toll continues to rise in Gaza - reaching 700 since the end of the ceasefire, and surpassing 50,000 in total - Egypt puts forward a new ceasefire plan.

On 19 March, the solemnity of St Joseph, the friars of the Custody of the Holy Land celebrated the feast-day of the patron saint of the Universal Church in Nazareth, in the place where according to tradition the Holy Family lived after they returned from Egypt. The Angelus in the Crypt of St Joseph At noon, the Franciscan friars, accompanied by some faithful, celebrated

The first Lenten peregrination was held on Thirsday 20 March, at the Franciscan shrine of  Dominus Flevit, on the Mount of Olives. Here, the friars of the Custody of the Holy Land meditated on the mystery of Jesus weeping, which is remembered in this place. The Lenten peregrinations are weekly liturgical celebrations  which are held in Jerusalem and the surroundings, in the places linked to

“The Franciscan presence in Jerusalem is essential, because their first mission is to look after the Holy Places and the local Christian community.” Diana Kattan was born and brought up in Jerusalem. For nineteen years she has been the secretary of the Custody of the Holy Land and the Custos’s personal assistant. It is a role she occupies with enthusiasm

Al Ahli Arab Hospital has long been a beacon of hope and life in Gaza. Today, in the face of unimaginable destruction, Ahli continues to provide unwavering support and care to those who desperately need it. With essential services across Gaza nearing total collapse, the hospital’s resilient staff — 140 professionals and volunteers — continue to risk everything to meet the

On Tuesday, March 11th, 2025, His Majesty King Abdullah II received a delegation of representatives from the Jerusalem Awqaf, church leaders, several Jerusalemites, as well as the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at Al Husseiniya Palace. During the meeting, the speakers voiced their gratitude for Jordan’s essential role, under His Majesty the King's leadership, in backing the Palestinian people and enhancing their

A pastor in Syria's Hasaka province said on Wednesday that the country's constitutional declaration, which was leaked earlier in the day and publicized on Thursday, fails to guarantee true religious freedom and risks deepening divisions by placing Islamic jurisprudence at the core of the legislation. Naim Youssef, pastor of the Christian Union Church in Derik (al-Malikiyah) in northeastern Hasaka province,

“In our family we like the idea of being able to give part of our time. We are volunteers in the parish, at the Sunday school. We are used to being volunteers everywhere there is the chance to give. This is because we believe that as well as reading the teachings in the Bible, it is important to live them.” 

On Thursday, March 13, a delegation of Caritas Jordan employees, accompanied by its Director Mr. Wa’el Suleiman, paid a well-wishes visit to His Eminence Bishop Iyad Twal at the Latin Patriarchate in Amman. During the meeting, the delegation members provided a comprehensive overview of Caritas' history and humanitarian goals, while reviewing its efforts to respond to the needs of refugees