Bethlehem celebrates Christmas -- and Israel allows some Gaza Christians to attend
After initially banning the visits of Christians from the Gaza Strip to Bethlehem, Israel softened its stance at the last minute Tuesday, allowing about 320 faithful access to the Church of the Nativity for Christmas Mass.
With many thousands more gathered outside on a chilly night in Manger Square, watching the Mass on large video screens, Pizzaballa encouraged the faithful to ward off the failures of spirit that come when “we are tired of seeing and confronting the injustices that occur around us.” He specifically cited “the divisions of our population caused by politics.”
Pizzaballa delivered the homily in English, opening with a “special greeting for the Christians of Gaza, with whom I celebrated Christmas two days ago.”
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