Father Francesco Ielpo, custos of the Holy Land and major superior of the Franciscans who live in the Middle East, asked Catholics around the world in a Feb. 18 statement to support the Holy Land this Good Friday through prayers and financial generosity.
Amid the conflicts and violence faced by countries in the Middle East, fewer pilgrims have been journeying to the Holy Land, which has exacerbated the economic stress local communities are facing, Fr. Ielpo explained.
“Many Christian families, who lived thanks to pilgrimages, now struggle to support themselves. Young people find it increasingly difficult to imagine a future here, in their own land. Hope itself seems wounded in Bethlehem, in Jerusalem, in northern Israel, as well as in Lebanon and Syria,” he said. “In this context, the words of the Holy Father resound strongly, reminding us of the urgent need for prayer and fasting for peace, and firmly calling for an end to the conflict in the Holy Land.”
According to the Custodia website, the main responsibility of the custos of the Holy Land is to coordinate with and welcome the pilgrims journeying there — a role the Holy See designated on the Friars Minor in the Holy Land more than 600 years ago. The custos also helps coordinate affordable hostels for those who cannot afford expensive hotels and ensures friars are available to speak with pilgrims, according to the website. The custos has jurisdiction for friars in Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Cyprus, Rhodes, and in part of Egypt.
The custos is also responsible for caring and sustaining the Christian presence in the Holy Land, according to the website, which adds that it also must “coordinate information about the Holy Land and instill in the Christians of the world the ‘loving care’ for these sites: archaeological excavations at the holy places, publication of ancient pilgrimages and above all, the study of the Bible through geography and history of these same sites where the events took place.”
Fr. Ielpo said in the release that the Pontifical Good Friday Collection helps support the Holy Land’s schools, parishes, social projects, and other initiatives.
This collection “is not only a gesture of solidarity: it is a concrete sign of communion with the Church of Jerusalem,” he said, explaining that it “[keeps] the Christian presence alive in the Places of Redemption.”
He said that local communities are called in a unique way at this moment to rebuild not just infrastructures, but “relationships, trust, and hope,” particularly through education, as well as through “young people, families, and the places where a culture of encounter and peace can be born.”
“On Good Friday, as we contemplate the Crucified Christ, we ask you not to forget the Holy Land. Remember us in your prayers and support us with your generosity. Your closeness is for us a precious sign of fraternity and hope,” he concluded. “From the Holy Places we assure you of our remembrance in prayer and wish you to live the Lord’s Easter as a source of new life.”