Fr Peter Vasko OFM, President of the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land, discusses the struggles facing Christians.
The Christmas season traditionally sees an uplift in numbers of pilgrims coming to the Holy Land and Jerusalem, but the Hamas attacks of 7 October quickly stopped the pilgrimage trade. In this exclusive interview, Father Peter Vasko, President of the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land (FFHL) for the last 30 years, explains how Christians living in the Holy Land have been affected by the escalating war.
Today, there are under 150,000 Christians living in the Holy Land, while an estimated 500 Christian families leave the Holy Land each year. The implications of this exodus – only exacerbated by the new Israeli-Hamas conflict – is that the Christian community and its Church may no longer exist in any meaningful form within 50 years. In a “volatile political environment of ethnic distrust”, the FFHL uses international resources to help the Christian community survive. In 1950, Christians made up 86 per cent of the population of Bethlehem, a historically Christian area, but today that figure is just 10 per cent – and falling.
The foundation was created to ensure the continued historic Christian presence in the area and that Christians continue to have a voice. The community provides housing, education and assistance to the Christians living in the region, as well as ministering to them and ensuring the upkeep of the Holy Sites. The community also arranges pilgrimages for those wishing to visit the Holy Land. However, as
Fr Vasko explains, the pilgrimage operation is on hold.
What is the reason for the Franciscan heritage and presence in the Holy Land?
St Francis of Assisi, as we all know, was a wonderful and great saint who came to the Holy Land in 1218, which means we have an 800-year history. We also have about 100 martyrs who were killed over the centuries by militant Muslims. We are very proud of the fact that we are the first Christian organisation to have a printing press and one of the first Catholic organisations to have schools for our Christians here. We also help Christians with food and have provided many of them with homes. We have a means-tested scholarship programme so that any Christian who has the marks will be able to go to university. We
have over 600 Christian students, mostly Catholics, who have graduated and gone on to secure professional employment. Word gets around: “Go to the Franciscans – they will help you.”
How has your community responded to the recent escalation in violence?
There is a prayer that Cardinal Pizzaballa [the Latin Patriarch] offered: “We pray that Almighty God may give comfort to the afflicted, strength to the weary, and wisdom to those in authority.” But he also said: “The Church in the Holy Land has no means, nor power. She only has Christ and His grace.” We really don’t have a lot of political power to try to change anything, and our community is aware of this. Our ministry is, however, capable of attending to the needy here, particularly the Christians. Soon we will be going out to different parts of Europe to ask for donations so we can set up relief programmes for them.
What do you think are the root causes of conflict there?
I believe there are two reasons for the violence we have seen since 1948. The first is that both parties, the Jews and the Muslims, believe it to be their land.
The second part is there is so much hate and distrust of each other that they have passed on this hate and distrust to their children and their children’s children. It has become part of the psychological DNA of both sides. I have been here for 36 years, and I do not see there ever being peace in this land. There will be the semblance of peace through so-called negotiations, but if you look at the history, we have had many accords and agreements. I think it is a terrible and very tragic situation we have here.
What is life like for Christians in the Holy Land?
At present, it is the same situation in different circumstances, as when we had Covid. Israel was the country that had some of the toughest lockdowns, and things were very difficult, especially for the people in Bethlehem. Right now, things in the West Bank and Bethlehem are closed. Jerusalem was a ghost town in the first two weeks after 7 October, but now things are going back to normal. Schools and most universities are open; however, the university in Bethlehem is going online. Most Christians are employed in the hospitality sector, and since 7 October, no pilgrims have come. The agencies and the hotels are closed. We are trying to work out how we are going to get food supplies to Bethlehem, where many of the Christians are. Our friars in Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity are preparing a plan to help with food supply, medical assistance, and to assist the elderly, and there are
a lot of problems with rental houses.
Can you currently get into the Holy sites?
Yes. But there are no pilgrims, only the locals. Even then, there are not many locals going to the sanctuaries; the old city itself is empty.
What do you think the main reason for Christians leaving the Holy Land is?
It is political and economic. Politically speaking, as you remember, for many years, there were suicide bombers killing a lot of Israelis in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The Israeli response to this was to build a 480-mile wall separating most of Israel from most of the West Bank. Three hundred and forty-five thousand Arabs were prevented from going to cities like Jerusalem and Tel
Aviv, and some 5,000 of them would have been Christians.
The settlements inside the West Bank have also been
a big problem.The other problem is economic. The average Arab Christian salary is between $10,000 to $17,000 a year.
The average Israeli salary is between $35,000 to $45,000.
There is also a problem with aid. The United States has given Israel billions of dollars every year in foreign aid. And then Biden gave the Palestinian Authority $110 million. The money given to Palestinian authorities goes to the Muslims, the money given to the Israeli authorities goes to the Jews, but the Christians aren’t covered by anyone. They are the ones who feel invisible to the Christian West.
What can Christians in the West do for the Christians living in the Holy Land?
At this particular time, we, as the Franciscans of the Holy Land, are asking all of our supporters to send donations for the Christians here who cannot afford food and their rent, so they may have some dignity. Of course, praying is very important. Praying for some reconciliation and for a resolution to this conflict, which seems to be almost impossible, but maybe there is a possibility. We need help materially, and please pray for peace.
If you would like to make a donation to the Franciscan Foundation of the Holy Land, visit: ffhl.org/donate-now.
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