Christians in Holy Land fear ‘losing their homes and their livelihoods,’ according to papal agency
As tensions continue to rise in the Holy Land, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa visited Christian communities in the West Bank, where he celebrated Mass on the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
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Christians living in the occupied West Bank are increasingly worried that Israeli military restrictions and settler violence could force them out of their homes and strip them of their means of livelihood, prompting the Vatican‑linked Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) to urge international attention and promise continued support. 1
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, travelled to the West Bank villages of Taybeh and Jenin in July 2025, celebrating the Assumption Mass and telling local Christians that the Church “will not abandon” them. 1
His homily in Taybeh highlighted the community as a “Christian voice… speaking out for justice,” and he urged residents to guard their hearts against despair while trusting in God for new life. 1
In July 2025 the Israeli Defense Forces declared the area of Taybeh and the nearby settlement of Rimon a closed military zone, barring Israelis and foreign nationals from entering or remaining there. The order encompasses the village’s built‑up area, agricultural fields, and historic sites. 1
Radical settlers have since defaced religious symbols, disrupted local businesses, and set fire to fields and an ancient church dedicated to St. George, actions described as violations of international law. 1
Taybeh, a 2,000‑year‑old agricultural village and the only remaining predominantly Christian settlement in the West Bank, now faces “siege‑like” conditions. Its olive groves and orange orchards have been torched, and the IDF’s perimeter has effectively cut off residents from supplies and markets. 1
CNEWA’s communications director Michael J. L. LaCivita emphasized that the community’s livelihoods are at risk and called for prayers, justice, and material aid to deliver food, water, and other necessities. 1
Monsignor Peter Vaccari, CNEWA president, underscored the importance of preserving the ecclesial presence throughout the Holy Land and urged the international community to work for justice as a prerequisite for peace. 1
The Vatican‑linked agency reassured believers that it will “continue to do everything within our power to preserve the ecclesial presence” in the region, inviting donors to support its relief efforts. 1*
Christian communities in the Holy Land must preserve ecclesial presence
The Christian communities of the Holy Land must be preserved not merely as historical monuments or custodians of shrines, but as living communities of faith. Their presence connects the Church today with the places where Christ was born, preached, crucified, and risen. The Dicastery for the Eastern Churches describes the Holy Places as having a unique value because they are “the incarnation of the Incarnation”: material witnesses to God’s entry into human history.
This presence includes parishes, schools, hospitals, homes for the elderly, charitable institutions, and assistance for migrants, refugees, and displaced persons. These institutions embody the Church’s mission through worship, education, healthcare, and service to the vulnerable.
War, insecurity, economic collapse, the interruption of pilgrimages, and the loss of employment have placed extraordinary burdens on Christians in the region. The 2024 appeal warns that many Christians are leaving the lands where their ancestors prayed and witnessed to the Gospel because they no longer see a viable future.
This emigration threatens more than demographic decline. If Christian families disappear, the Christian character of many local communities, schools, charitable works, and traditional forms of service may also disappear. The Dicastery therefore identifies housing, employment, and educational and professional formation as practical priorities if Christians are to remain in their homeland by free and dignified choice.
Preserving ecclesial presence must never mean pressuring people to remain amid grave danger. Rather, it means helping create conditions in which remaining is genuinely possible: with security, work, education, family stability, and freedom of worship.
The Church’s concern for the Holy Land is not optional or merely devotional. The 2025 appeal calls the Holy Land and its Christian communities “the heritage of all of us” and describes the survival of this presence—dating back to the time of Jesus—as a matter of urgent pastoral priority.
This is the purpose of the Pontifical Collection for the Holy Land, traditionally taken on Good Friday. The collection supports both the preservation of the Holy Places and the living communities that pray and serve there. Even a small contribution, when offered by the whole Church, becomes a concrete sign of ecclesial solidarity.
Support should therefore be:
The 2025 appeal also cautions against multiplying parallel collections in ways that weaken the effectiveness and meaning of the universal ecclesial initiative.
Christian communities are called not only to survive but to testify to the Gospel amid conflict. Pope John Paul II taught that the Church is “the effective sign and means of reconciliation and peace for the human family.” Christian unity and cooperation can therefore offer a visible alternative to hostility and fragmentation.
This witness requires collaboration among the various Christian traditions present in the Holy Land. Though serious theological divisions remain, Christians share a responsibility to protect human life, assist the suffering, and work for peace. Ecumenical cooperation—meaning collaboration among Christians of different ecclesial communities—can strengthen schools, humanitarian initiatives, prayer, and advocacy for justice.
Such cooperation must not erase legitimate differences. John Paul II emphasized that Christians can work together for peace while acknowledging that divisions remain. Mutual respect and a common commitment to reconciliation are not substitutes for full unity, but they are important steps toward it.
Catholic teaching rejects both political indifference and a purely spiritualized response. Prayer is essential, but prayer must produce action. John Paul II insisted that “prayer for peace must be followed by appropriate action,” especially action addressing justice, human dignity, and the causes of conflict.
Accordingly, preserving ecclesial presence includes defending:
The Christian response must avoid hatred, vengeance, and partisan dehumanization. The 2024 appeal repeats the Church’s call for an end to weapons and for respect for the sacredness of every human person.
The Church’s presence in the Holy Land is ultimately a sign of the Incarnation: Christianity is rooted in real places, peoples, bodies, histories, and relationships. The faith is not detached from human suffering. Christ entered precisely into human vulnerability, and his risen body still bears the wounds of the Cross. John Paul II used this image to express hope that a war-scarred world can be transformed rather than abandoned.
The Christian communities of the Holy Land therefore witness to hope by remaining rooted in the land, serving their neighbors, and praying for the whole world. Their preservation is not an act of nostalgia. It is a responsibility to protect a living Christian testimony and to ensure that the places of salvation history do not become merely archaeological sites.
“Christian communities in the Holy Land must preserve ecclesial presence” means that the universal Church must help sustain living worship, families, institutions, service, and Christian witness in the land of Christ. This requires prayer, financial solidarity, safe pilgrimage, ecumenical cooperation, and persistent work for justice and peace. The goal is not simply to preserve buildings, but to protect a people whose continued presence keeps alive the Church’s historical and spiritual bond with the Holy Places.