As you will see from the following two stories, we must keep Cardinal Pizzaballa and the students and staff of Bethlehem university in our daily prayers, even just one Ave Maria apiece every day. Re: Bethlehem University, which I know and love and where I have spent some nights, you may have read this piece on Joan’s Rome November 7, 2023: A LETTER FROM BETHLEHEM – UPDATE FROM STUDENTS AT BETHLEHEM UNIVERSITY (OCTOBER LETTER) | Joan’s Rome (joansrome.wordpress.com)
CARDINAL PIZZABALLA: WE STAND BY THOSE WORKING FOR GOOD IN THIS DARK NIGHT
The Cardinal Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem talks of the critical time in the Holy Land and of how difficult it is to see ways out. (cardinal in Gaza)
By Andrea Tornielli
“The moment is very painful, we are living through a very long night. But we also know that nights end. It is the time when the Church must work with all those who are willing to do something beautiful and good for everyone…”. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, passing through Rome, spoke to Vatican Media about the situation in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank.
What is the situation these days in Israel and especially in Gaza?
The situation has not changed much compared to the recent past of these last months, with ups and downs. Gaza is now divided between the north and the south, Rafah, and the city of Gaza. There was a period when more humanitarian aid, especially in the north, was coming in. Now it has become a bit complicated again. Meat, for example, is missing. Water is problematic, and let’s say that, in general, the situation remains very deteriorated and it is very difficult to see ways out. It doesn’t seem to me that negotiations are leading to anything and that there is a real desire on the part of the parties to reach a conclusion. And this is what is perceived, also keeping in mind the Lebanon front which is heating up more and more. The prospects are not very encouraging.
How many victims are there? Some question the figures provided, but the images that arrive show destruction…
Destruction. The city of Gaza is destroyed, so the victims are many. It is difficult to give figures, but they are numerous, and this is evident. It is a fact that civilian casualties are always numerous.
TO CONTINUE: Cardinal Pizzaballa: We stand by those working for good in this dark night – Vatican News – a look at the situation in the West Bank, debates in Israeli government, what life is like for Christians, a look at a post-war period, US elections impact, getting aid to Gaza and much more.
STUDENTS AT BETHLEHEM UNIVERSITY FACING “EXTRAORDINARY” DIFFICULTIES
In an interview with Vatican News, Bro. Jack Curran, Vice-President of Bethlehem University, appeals for prayers and assistance.
By Joseph Tulloch and Fr Adrian Danca
In 1964, when Pope Paul VI made his historic pilgrimage to the Holy Land – the first by a Pope since ancient times – he expressed a desire to do something to help the Palestinian people.
It took nearly a decade for that project to take shape. But, in 1973 in Bethlehem, the first Catholic university in the Holy Land opened its doors.
Today, Bethlehem University serves around 3,000 students, and sees its mission as contributing “to building a free, peaceful and vibrant Palestine.”
Its Vice-President for Advancement, Bro. Jack Curran, FSC, is currently in Rome, for a meeting of aid agencies serving the Eastern Catholic Churches.
He spoke to Vatican News’ Fr Adrian Danca about the toll that the Israel-Hamas war is exacting on students at BU, and ways that staff are trying to adapt.
“Extraordinary” difficulties
Br Curran said that the situation for students at BU has been “really quite difficult for many years”, but that problems have “intensified extraordinarily” since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October last year.
He stressed in particular the lack of ability to enter and leave the West Bank, or move from town to town within it.
To arrive in Bethlehem from Jerusalem, where forty percent of BU students live, Br Jack noted – a journey of just eight kilometers – was “impossible for five months.”
New methods
Br Curran said that this situation had forced faculty and staff at Bethlehem University to “find new ways to engage the students.”
This meant, he said, focusing on the essentials of their mission: “to provide a human and Christian education to the students”, forming their character and helping make them better citizens.
He said that their goal was to nurture within their students the mindset that “the future is a future of hope.”
Sometimes, he noted, this is quite difficult: “the intensity of the psychological pressure on our students and on our faculty is a great concern.”
For this reason, he said, “we’re trying to do what we can to maintain normalcy as best as possible, and to attend to the psychological and academic concerns of our students.”
Prayer and solidarity
Asked how individuals can support the work of Bethlehem University, Bro. Curran said that there is an “urgent need” for both prayer and concrete solidarity.
Financial gifts, he said, are greatly appreciated, as they help to “upgrade counseling and psychological care” for students, as well as to increase academic support.
“This mission that we have as the only Catholic University in the Holy Land,” Bro. Curran concluded, “is amazingly important. It’s a great place for the Church to be.”
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