UN Secretary General Receives Hostile Reception in Gaza
Angry at his decision not to meet Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, protesters reportedly pelted UN chief Ban Ki-moon's car with shoes and chairs as he visited Gaza today. At a press conference in Gaza, Mr. Ban, who is visiting the region to try to kick-start stalled peace negotiations, called on Palestinians to stop launching rockets into Israel, and for Israelis to guarantee freedom, human rights and dignity for the Palestinian people. Full story
At the Service of the Holy Land in a Changing World
With a solemn liturgy presided by the minister general of the order of Friars Minor, Father José Rodriguez Carballo, the third International Conference of the Commissaries of the Holy Land opened in Jerusalem on January 30th. The Commissaries are in charge of supporting the Custody and promoting pilgrimages wherever there is a Franciscan province. Over 90 delegates from forty countries will be participating in the event. Full story
Israel-Holy See Talks: Substantive Progress Made But Why No More Details?
The bilateral permanent working commission between the State of Israel and the Holy See appears to have made significant progress, according to a statement released this afternoon. The plenary meeting, hosted by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, concerned the ongoing quest to reach an accord concerning part of the 1993 Fundamental Agreement dealing with economic and fiscal matters. Full story
Andrea Bocelli: «God guides my steps»
He is famous all over the world and has sold 70 million albums. In an exclusive interview with Terrasanta, the tenor Andrea Bocelli talks about his relationship with God, faith and the Holy Land, which he visits regularly. Here are some extracts from the interview by Manuela Borraccino. The full interview will appear soon also in The Holy Land Review. Full story
Fr. Neuhaus: Hebrew Catechism Provoking Fascinating Dialogue with Jews
Father David Neuhaus, a Jesuit of Jewish descent, is patriarchal vicar for Hebrew-speaking Catholics in Jerusalem. In a recent interview with Terrasanta.net, he sets out the pastoral priorities of the small Hebrew-speaking community in the Holy Land under the jurisdiction of the Latin Patriarch. Full story
Books
Fact-Finding Charlemagne
In this work, Harvard medieval scholar Michael McCormick draws on ancient documents that recorded Charlemagne's ninth century fact-finding mission and survey of the Holy Land. Concerned by the poverty of Christians living there, the Frankish king sent a group of men to register a statistical portrait of the people, buildings, and finances of all the major churches in the region.
Audio & Video
Life and death of Arna and her children
In Arna’s Children, life and death defy and pursue one another. Apparently, it is the latter that has the better. Hardly any of the leading figures in this documentary are still with us. The only one to have left us after a life that was not too short, and lived with great enthusiasm, is Arna herself, a Jewish Israeli pasionaria who died of cancer at 66 in 1995. Many of her children, young Palestinians who lived in the refugee camp of Jenin, in the West Bank, joined her shortly afterwards, killed during the armed struggle against the Israeli occupation or embracing the extreme option of suicide terrorism.
Itineraries
Nimrod Fortress: A Jaw-Dropping Attraction Off The Beaten Track
Although it is not on most pilgrims' itineraries, the Nimrod Fortress is one of Israel's hidden gems, a jaw-dropping medieval defence structure located in the northern part of the Golan Heights. The edifice, known in Arabic as Qala’at al-Subeiba (‘Castle of the Large Cliff’), is located on the slopes of Mount Hermon above the Banias Spring.
