Faith Thu, 23 Jan 2025 00:55:57 -0500 Website design by Concerto Designs concertodesigns.ca en-gb Treasures at Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity is being restored /home/international/item/24071-bethlehem-shrine-s-treasures-being-restored /home/international/item/24071-bethlehem-shrine-s-treasures-being-restored

ROME – It is revered by different Christian sects and draws more than a million visitors to the Holy Land every year, making it the biggest tourist attraction in the Palestinian territories.

]]> International Sun, 15 Jan 2017 11:00:00 -0500 Italians finish restoring mosaics in Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity /home/international/item/22661-italians-finish-restoring-mosaics-in-bethlehem-s-church-of-the-nativity /home/international/item/22661-italians-finish-restoring-mosaics-in-bethlehem-s-church-of-the-nativity

BETHLEHEM, West Bank – An Italian team has completed restoration of Crusader-era mosaics in the Church of the Nativity, but the mosaics will only be unveiled publicly after work on lighting, electricity and the fire alarm system is also finished.

]]> International Sun, 10 Jul 2016 08:30:00 -0400 Grotto where Jesus born takes you back to Church origins /features/christmas/item/21490-grotto-where-jesus-born-takes-you-back-to-church-origins /features/christmas/item/21490-grotto-where-jesus-born-takes-you-back-to-church-origins

From the very beginnings of Christianity the grotto where Jesus was born has been revered as one of the most sacred places in the world. Today it is designated a World Heritage Site and Roman Catholics from all over the world gather here every Christmas Eve for Midnight Mass.

]]> Christmas Sun, 20 Dec 2015 13:00:18 -0500 Believers pray to ‘Our Lady of the Milk’ in this ancient Bethlehem spot where Mary nursed /faith/item/19419-believers-pray-to-our-lady-of-the-milk-in-this-ancient-bethlehem-spot-where-mary-nursed /faith/item/19419-believers-pray-to-our-lady-of-the-milk-in-this-ancient-bethlehem-spot-where-mary-nursed

BETHLEHEM, West Bank - Dozens of photos of smiling babies accompanied by moving testimonials line the walls of Franciscan Brother Lawrence BodeöÏÓãÊÓƵapp office in the Milk Grotto Church where, tradition holds, the Virgin Mary hid in an underground cave in order to breast-feed Jesus as she and Joseph were fleeing King Herod.

]]> Faith Mon, 22 Dec 2014 10:30:00 -0500 Day 4: The Holy Land's status quo /features/item/18158-day-4-the-holy-land-s-status-quo /features/item/18158-day-4-the-holy-land-s-status-quo

In modern, democratic culture there's almost nothing worse than protecting the status quo. it is to be on the side of privilege; to stand against the excluded. There can be no doubt that's a bad thing.

]]> mikes@catholicregister.org (Michael Swan, The Catholic Register) Michael Swan in the Holy Land Thu, 15 May 2014 20:00:00 -0400 Nuncio cautious about church's designation as World Heritage site /home/international/item/14825-nuncio-cautious-about-churchs-designation-as-world-heritage-site /home/international/item/14825-nuncio-cautious-about-churchs-designation-as-world-heritage-site

JERUSALEM - The designation of Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity as a UNESCO World Heritage site complicates relations between the three churches that oversee the holy site as well as relations between the Israeli and Palestinian communities, said a church official.

Archbishop Antonio Franco, papal nuncio to Israel and the Palestinian territories, said the Catholic Church believes the church which marks the site of Christ's birth is part of the church's "patrimony as holy places, not because they are on a UNESCO list."

]]> International Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:15:23 -0400 UNESCO adds Church of Nativity to list of heritage sites in danger /home/international/item/14818-unesco-adds-church-of-nativity-to-list-of-heritage-sites-in-danger /home/international/item/14818-unesco-adds-church-of-nativity-to-list-of-heritage-sites-in-danger

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia - UNESCO has placed sites in Bethlehem, West Bank — including the Church of the Nativity — on its list of World Heritage in Danger.

In a 13-6 vote with two abstentions, the World Heritage Committee added the sites to the danger list June 29 during a meeting in St. Petersburg.

]]> International Tue, 03 Jul 2012 09:53:01 -0400