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Irish Times
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
‘This is the homeland of Jesus': Palestinian Christians plead for end to attacks by West Bank settlers
Standing on charred grass and ash, two days after the grounds by this holy site were set alight by settlers, the priests pointed in different directions, towards the growing number of Israeli settlements which they say are putting the future of Palestinian Christians at risk. The town of Taybeh is the last entirely Christian town in the occupied West Bank , representing 'a unique presence in the region, a living testimony that dates back to the time of Christ', they say. Jesus is said to have stayed in the town. On Tuesday, Fr Daoud Khoury, Fr Jack Nobel Abed and Fr Bashar Fawadleh – representing the Greek Orthodox Church, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church and the Roman Catholic Church – issued a joint statement saying they wanted to 'strongly condemn the ongoing and grave series of attacks targeting Taybeh'. 'These assaults threaten the security and stability of our town and aim at undermining the dignity of its residents and the sanctity of its sacred land.' READ MORE The latest attack happened on Monday. Charred ground set on fire by settlers in Taybeh, close to the Church of Saint George. Photograph: Sally Hayden On Wednesday, the priests took The Irish Times to see the damage, pointing out sections of burnt ground where they said settlers deliberately started a fire beside the town cemetery and what remains of the Church of Saint George (Al Khadr), 'one of the oldest religious landmarks in Palestine.' In their statement, they said illegal settlement outposts were expanding 'under military protection', and the settlers were grazing their cattle, 'in a scene that has become provocatively routine', in private fields and near family homes, preventing Taybeh's residents from accessing and cultivating their land, and damaging the olive trees. 'As priests, we bear a pastoral and moral responsibility toward our community. We cannot remain quiet in the face of these relentless attacks that threaten our very existence on this land,' they said Israel has been accused of carrying out ethnic cleansing in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, where the number of illegal settlers has increased from about 250,000 in the early 1990s to about 700,000 today. Israeli settlers, who call the area Judea and Samaria, often say they have a biblical right to be there. In a statement on Wednesday, the Norwegian Refugee Council, which works in the region, said a 'broader strategy of coercion – marked by settler violence, the spread of illegal outposts and state complicity ... is rendering life unviable for Palestinians. The resulting displacements amount to forcible transfer, a grave breach of international humanitarian law'. In July last year, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion saying that Israel is illegally occupying the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, and must withdraw, evacuate the settlements and pay full reparations . Yet, as the death toll reported by health authorities in Gaza approaches 58,000 since the Hamas-led attacks of October 7th, 2023, killed an estimated 1,200 people, Palestinians across the West Bank also say the situation they are facing is unprecedented even as Israeli government ministers have been calling for complete annexation. During an interview in his office, Fawadleh (39) invited Irish supporters to come on 'solidarity visits' to Taybeh, saying they would particularly appreciate help during the olive harvest this October. 'Come and see and please help us to stop all of these aggressive attacks from the settlers,' he said. 'See our life and stay with us and live with us, to see the truth and to announce the truth.' Fr Bashar Fawadleh inside a church in Taybeh, a Christian town in the occupied West Bank Fawadleh – who also said he hopes Ireland's proposed Occupied Territories law would pass – said he wanted to thank Irish people for standing with Palestinians, something he heard about from the time he was a small child. He wanted to emphasise that land grabs, harassment and settlement expansion had been taking place for decades before October 7th, 2023, but called the present situation 'very dangerous', saying it classed as an emergency. Taybeh is about 45km northeast of Bethlehem and 18km northeast of Ramallah. There are now four main settlements surrounding the town, all on Taybeh's land, Fawadleh said. A new settlement outpost was created just weeks ago, he said. 'We are facing a very new panorama.' It is necessary to act quickly to protect Taybeh before this escalates more, he said. 'We have to stop them from the beginning. We need to live in peace. Our people, they are so afraid. A lot of people are thinking about emigration.' The population of the town is 1,300 people, all Christian, he said. There were about 46,000 Christians in the West Bank in 2017, he said, but now he thinks there must be fewer than 40,000, with many moving to North America and South America in particular. 'Palestinian Christians, we are the originals of this land. Jesus was from this land. This is the homeland of Jesus. Our number in the Palestinian state is very small, but our influence … is very huge.' He said Palestinian culture was intrinsically linked to the history of Christianity, something which the churches played a role in preserving and remembering. 'We are preserving the Palestinian story, the Palestinian Christian story. We are here from the beginning.' He said it was essential to understand that 'this land wasn't empty' in the past. While Christians had no problem 'living together' with people of any religion, he said, the difficulty was the 'occupation and the fanatic mentality'. The settlers have stolen olive trees, a water tank and set fire to crops, locals have said. They can come armed 'with pistols or different weapons' while Taybeh's residents, in contrast, 'don't have any weapons because we are Palestinians and we are forbidden to have weapons', Fawadleh said. It is common to see armed settlers across the West Bank, with far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir – a settler himself – saying last October that more than 120,000 firearms had been distributed to 'eligible citizens' over the past year, many of which are believed to have gone to settlers. A spokesperson from the Israeli government's Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (Cogat) unit referred The Irish Times to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment. The IDF said the main body responsible for handling allegations of legal violations by Israeli citizens is the Israeli police. 'When IDF soldiers encounter incidents of lawbreaking by Israelis – especially violent acts or those directed against Palestinians and their property – they are required to intervene to stop the violation and, if necessary, detain or arrest suspects until police arrive on the scene.' Fawadleh said Taybeh's residents called the Israeli police before, but no one came. The Israeli police did not respond to a request for comment. Fr Jack Nobel Abed, of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, pictured in Taybeh. Photograph: Sally Hayden People are frightened to go to church sometimes because of the presence of settlers or military vehicles, said Fr Abed of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. The 67-year-old, born in Jaffa, has been based in Taybeh for 35 years. He said the situation had changed 'completely' in that time – '180 degrees' – and the Israeli occupation was the 'obstacle of everything'. From it, 'begins all the problems' including those related to 'economical life, spiritual life, pastoral life, the social life'. Yet, Abed said, 'many Christian people [are] forgetting that we have a message to give to the world. Remaining in this country, in the Holy Land, is our message that we are the roots of the faith in Palestine. So we have to stay, although all the problems, all the wars, all the occupation, all ... that we are suffering. We have to give testimony for Jesus.'
CBS News
26-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
See photos of Pope Francis' funeral and procession as pontiff is laid to rest
The funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday drew a crowd to St. Peter's Square that included kings and queens, presidents and prime ministers, cardinals and archbishops, as well as hundreds of thousands of devoted followers touched by his commitment to the poor, his defense of the world's migrants, and his outreach to those long marginalized by the church. Though the famously humble pontiff requested simplicity in his wooden coffin and final resting place, the funeral Mass still reflected the grandeur and traditions of the Vatican. See photos below of some of the highlights of the day honoring the leader known as "the People's Pope." Crowd fills St. Peter's Square for Pope Francis' funeral An estimated 250,000 people attended the funeral service outside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. Members of the clergy among the crowd attending the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square on April 26, 2025 in Vatican City. PENNY KARACHALIOU/SOOC/AFP via Getty Images A statue gazes down on clergy members in red and white vestments at the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square. Dan Kitwood / Getty Images An aerial view of the crowd at St. Peter's Square during Pope Francis's funeral on April 26, 2025. / Getty Images Pallbearers carry the coffin of Pope Francis Pallbearers carry the coffin of Pope Francis at his funeral service at St. Peter's. ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images A line of clergy and pallbearers carrying Pope Francis' coffin file into St Peter's Basilica at the end of the funeral ceremony. TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images World leaders watch from the front row as pallbearers carry the coffin of Pope Francis at his funeral. Dan Kitwood / Getty Images Church regalia on display With Swiss Guards in the foreground, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re speaks at the funeral Mass for Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square. Oliver Weiken/picture alliance via Getty Images Members of the clergy wait in their seats ahead of the funeral for Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square. PENNY KARACHALIOU/SOOC/AFP via Getty Images A sea of red vestments at the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square. PENNY KARACHALIOU/SOOC/AFP via Getty Images Members of the clergy among the crowd attending the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square. PENNY KARACHALIOU/SOOC/AFP via Getty Images High ranking clergy emerge from St. Peter's Basilica for the funeral Mass of Pope Francis. Domenico Cippitelli/NurPhoto via Getty Images Cardinals of the Eastern and Oriental Catholic Churches arrive to pay a last moment of respect in front of the coffin of Pope Francis during the funeral ceremony. ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images Youssef Absi, Patriarch of Antioch and All the Orient, of Alexandria and of Jerusalem, and head of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, blesses with myrrh the coffin of late Pope Francis during the funeral ceremony. ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images President Trump and world leaders in attendance The Vatican said delegations from about 130 countries would attend the ceremony, including about 50 heads of state and 10 reigning monarchs. President Trump and first lady Melania Trump were there, and former President Joe Biden also attended. Before the funeral, Mr. Trump met privately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. France's President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with President Trump ahead of the funeral for Pope Francis at St. Peter's Square. ISABELLA BONOTTO/AFP via Getty Images President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump at the funeral of Pope Francis. Dan Kitwood / Getty Images President Trump and his wife Melania Trump stand with other world leaders during the funeral ceremony for Pope Francis. ISABELLA BONOTTO/AFP via Getty Images President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are shown meeting ahead of the funeral of Pope Francis in the Vatican. Ukraine Presidential Office handout Former President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden arrive for he funeral for Pope Francis at St Peter's Square. FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images Prayers from the faithful for Pope Francis The faithful pray at the funeral Mass for the late Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square. Oliver Weiken/picture alliance via Getty Images Clergy pray by the coffin of Pope Francis during his funeral. Mauro Ujetto/NurPhoto via Getty Images Nuns gather for the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City. Getty Images Priests offer Communion to those attending the funeral of Pope Francis in Vatican City. Getty Images As Pope Francis' funeral took place at the Vatican, Catholic believers attended a requiem Mass for him in Dili, East Timor, where he visited last year. VALENTINO DARIELL DE SOUSA/AFP via Getty Images Funeral Mass and homily honoring "a pope among the people" The Mass was led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the 91-year-old dean of the College of Cardinals, who also delivered a highly personal homily. "He was a pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone," Re said of Pope Francis, who died at the age of 88. "The guiding thread of his mission was also the conviction that the church is a home for all, a home with its doors always open." The dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, prays at the closed coffin during the funeral Mass for Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square. Michael Kappeler/picture alliance via Getty Images Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re speaks at the funeral of Pope Francis. Mauro Ujetto/NurPhoto via Getty Images Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re blesses the coffin of Pope Francis during the funeral ceremony. TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re blesses the coffin of Pope Francis during the funeral ceremony. ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images Crowds pay their last respects to Pope Francis After the funeral Mass, the coffin of Pope Francis was taken in a procession through the streets of Rome to his final resting place, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major). In his last will and testament, Francis asked to be buried in that fifth-century church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, where he went to pray before and after his foreign travels as pontiff. A nun attends the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square. Getty Images Crowds gather to watch the procession of the Popemobile carrying the coffin of Pope Francis through the streets of Rome to his final resting place. Andrei Pungovschi / Getty Images People gather along streets near the Colosseum to watch the funeral procession. STEFANO RELLANDINI/AFP via Getty Images Members of the clergy and a representative group described by the Vatican as the "poor and needy" welcome the coffin of Pope Francis as it arrives at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore for burial. Chris Furlong / Getty Images The coffin of Pope Francis is carried by pallbearers into Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome for his burial. PIERO CRUCIATTI/AFP via Getty Images "Grazie Papa Francisco!" A man in Rome holds up a newspaper with the headline "Grazie Papa Francisco!" (Thank you, Pope Francis) on the day of the the pope's funeral, April 26, 2025. Getty Images
The National
25-04-2025
- Politics
- The National
'He carried the Middle East in his heart': Arab mourners in the Vatican bid farewell to Pope Francis
World leaders send condolences after Pope's death Tens of thousands have flocked to St Peter's Basilica to pay their final respects to Pope Francis on the second of three days of his lying in state. Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday at 88 after a stroke and heart failure, was last seen in public calling for an end to the war in Gaza during his final sermon the day before. He was widely praised for his dedication to the marginalised, for his humility, and for his commitment to interfaith dialogue. Some travelled from as far as the Middle East – the birthplace of Christianity and home to a mosaic of communities, including Egypt's Copts, Iraq's Chaldeans and Lebanon's Maronites – to attend the commemoration. Among them was Lebanese Father Antoine Dib, Superior General of the Basilian Salvatorians, a monastic order within the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, who arrived from Lebanon on Thursday. Father Dib, who knew Pope Francis personally and met him frequently, said the pontiff had a significant impact on the region. 'He always focused on peaceful coexistence and interreligious dialogue, as well as openness,' he said. Pope Francis's visit to Abu Dhabi in 2019 – the first papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula – where he signed the Document on Human Fraternity with the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Dr Ahmed Al Tayeb, was widely seen as a powerful symbol of interfaith brotherhood. Father Dib said that Pope Francis first encountered Eastern Churches in his native Argentina, which is home to large communities from the Middle East diaspora. 'He carried the Middle East in his heart,' he said. 'He respected everyone, especially in situations of marginalisation and oppression. He felt compelled to be present, to share his message – a message he deeply believed in – centred on human dignity and value.' Father Dib said the Pope 'was very humble; truly, deeply humble. He lived like anyone else. Even in his funeral, he chose simplicity and poverty, because something greater guided his life: the love of God and of others. He lived close to the people. I think he lived like them because people could speak to him freely, without barriers.' Like Father Dib, many religious figures are expected to attend the commemoration, including representatives from Eastern churches in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt. But the commemoration has also drawn faithful congregations. The Thursday flight from Beirut to Rome was full of Lebanese pilgrims from a local parish. The group had planned to travel to Rome for the canonisation of Carlo Acutis, a young Italian teenager set to become the Catholic Church's first millennial saint, but the death of the Pope changed their original plans. 'We didn't expect Pope Francis to pass away so suddenly. He was doing better,' Catia Hitti, one of the passengers, speaking to The National. 'He cared about Lebanon, stood against war and supported the deprived. He didn't care about the rich. He was humble: he washed the feet of inmates.' Pope Francis included women and people of other faiths in the Holy Thursday foot-washing ceremony – a ritual that recalls Jesus washing his disciples' feet before his death – a historic break from the tradition, which had been limited to Catholic men. 'Everyone loved him, both Muslims and Christians,' Ms Hitti added. In St Peter's Square, Karim Eltomy, 44, an Egyptian man on holiday in Rome with his family, said it was important for him as a Muslim to pay his respects to the Pope. 'I know the Pope was very valuable to Catholics, and for us, all religious leaders are important because we're all moving in the same direction, with the same intention,' he said. 'For us, he was someone who promoted what is right. What I see as differences between religions is far less than what they have in common that they share.'
