“It's beautiful to see young Christians here praying for one another ... It shows that we are the body of Christ, and that the Church will never fail, that it will never close its doors,” says Maria, who comes from Nazareth and radiates a deep faith. This young biomedical research student, who bears the name of Jesus' mother and lives in the town where Christ spent his childhood, is spending her second week in Rome, but this is her first experience of an international gathering.
“We feel that God wants to work with us, so we bring Jesus with us, and we meet Him in other groups. It gives us so much joy to see that love is everywhere, despite all our differences!” says the young woman, reassured by “seeing Christians everywhere.”
“We need prayers,” she admits, emphasizing that despite their small numbers, young Christians in the Holy Land remain dynamic and active, especially in welcoming pilgrims who still find the courage to come despite the ongoing wars.
The young woman explains that living in the Holy Land is “an immense blessing” because “God is there, everywhere” on this land trodden by Christ. Her friend Claire, a teacher in Jerusalem, acknowledges that the situation is painful for the small Christian minority in the Holy Land.
“We Christians are a small percentage of the people in the Holy Land, less than 1% I think. We’re going through difficult times because we’re Arab Christians, doubly discriminated against: We’re discriminated against as Arabs and discriminated against as Christians. But we remain strong thanks to the love of Christ,” she says.
Walking in the footsteps of Jesus
In the context of violence, this Jubilee experience is a great source of comfort. “Many young people tell us they want to visit the Holy Land, to come and see the places where Jesus was born, where he lived, walked, was crucified, and rose again ... It reminds us that after death, there will always be the Resurrection!” Claire insists.
“When you have Jesus in your heart, you always remain convinced that after war there will be peace,“ adds the young woman, who explains that this group of young Palestinians has ”a message to give to the world: Christians are still here, in the Holy Land."
Claire explains that she wants to “always bring hope to young people” in her work as a teacher, in order to “give them all the strength they need to be faithful and strong in their faith.”
Ivan, a young violinist and music student in Jerusalem, also speaks with simplicity and gentleness about his faith and hope for peace. “Whatever the situation, we must always bear witness to love and forgiveness,” says the young musician. He has Muslim and Jewish friends and believes that Christians living in the Old City of Jerusalem have “a special mission” to fulfill.
“Living where Jesus lived gives us strength,” Ivan says. “Thank God, we are safe in Jerusalem,” says the young Palestinian, part of whose family lives in Egypt. “We always keep hope for peace, everywhere,” he says, appreciating Pope Leo XIV's unwavering support for this tireless search for peace. “It’s a real blessing to be here in Rome, to pray with the Pope and with thousands of Christians,” says the 21-year-old.
When impossible friendships become possible
Among those accompanying the group is Sister Rawan, originally from Nazareth, who is a religious with the Congregation of the Charity of the Immaculate Conception of Ivrea, an Italian congregation. Currently serving in Jerusalem, she acknowledges that “the situation is difficult” but explains that the heart of her religious vocation is to bear witness to hope “from the land of the Risen One.”
“By praying together, we strengthen our belonging to our land,” she emphasizes.
Seeing so many young people from other countries during this Jubilee is “a great source of consolation.”
“We’re forging bonds with young people we never thought we’d meet. For example, we were able to talk with Lebanese and Syrians: Usually we can’t meet, but here in Rome we were able to have this experience. It was very beautiful,” she says.
“Everyone has gone out to meet each other, and this is a sign that love conquers all,” the sister points out. "We feel solidarity from young people all over the world with regard to our situation, and also a certain curiosity about how we live. We’re Christians, we have this strong hope for a better future, for Christ to come, with peace… We hope so, for everyone!”
“We are the ones who make the Holy Land be what it is, and we hope that we can continue to exist and remain on our land. We ask for the world's prayers for peace and for the Lord to change the hearts of those in power," concluded Sister Rawan.
