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6d ago

Bethlehem Restores Public Christmas Celebrations as Church Leaders Center Gaza’s Suffering

An October ceasefire enabled the first full Bethlehem observances in two years.

An aerial view shows scouts marching on Wednesday during Christmas Eve celebrations on Manger Square outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
A man stands on the rubble of a house that was demolished by the Israeli army in the village of Qalandia in the West Bank on December 16.
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Smoke billows from the site of several explosions during an Israeli raid on the Jenin camp in the West Bank on February 2.

Overview

  • At Midnight Mass in the Church of the Nativity, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said he sensed joy returning to Bethlehem while stressing that suffering persists in Gaza despite a halt in Israel’s war.
  • Gaza’s Christians marked Christmas with indoor prayer and Mass only, forgoing decorations and outdoor rites because of devastation and insecurity.
  • Manger Square hosted a towering tree, processions and crowds for the first time since 2023, with tight security as local leaders framed the festivities as an act of resilience and hope.
  • The Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem urged continued prayer and advocacy, noting that people have continued to be killed or grievously injured despite a declared cessation of hostilities.
  • Reporting highlights deadly strikes on churches such as Saint Porphyrius and repeated damage to Holy Family Church in Gaza, alongside a long-term decline to fewer than 50,000 Palestinian Christians in the occupied territories.