Ielpo: looking at those who ‘bear the features of the poor and crucified Christi’ in the Holy Land
The new Franciscan Custos made his solemn entry into Jerusalem this afternoon, where “Every stone of this land cries out and pleads for authentic and lasting peace, for certain hope," he told fellow friars and those present. After his phone call with Netanyahu, Pope Leo XIV also spoke with Palestinian President Abbas today.
Jerusalem (AsiaNews) – Father Francesco Ielpo, the new Custos of the Holy Land in Jerusalem, began his ministry this afternoon as superior of the Friars Minor who minister in the Holy City, but also Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Cyprus, and Rhodes.
“In the storm that is sweeping through the Holy Land, I feel the need to keep my gaze fixed on Jesus. But not on an abstract Jesus,” he said, citing the Gospel passage in which Jesus invites Peter to walk on the stormy sea.
“I want to keep my gaze fixed on that Jesus whom I can recognize in the Sacraments, in the Word of God, but also and above all in the faces of so many brothers and sisters who, especially here in the Holy Land, bear the features of the poor and crucified Christ."
His election by the chapter of friars officially confirmed on 24 June by Leo XIV, Ielpo made his traditional entrance into the Old City of Jerusalem today, through the Jaffa Gate on his way to the Church of St Saviour, the seat of the Custody, not far from the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre.
Here, during the celebration of Vespers, he received the seal of the Custody from his predecessor, Francesco Patton, before representatives of other Christian denominations and civil authorities, who had gathered for this solemn moment along with numerous faithful.
The new Custos extended Jesus’s greeting of peace to everyone. "Today more than ever," he said, "peace is the first essential and indispensable gift we must invoke for the Holy Land and our hearts."
Stressing that the Custody will offer its full cooperation in serving the city of Jerusalem and its people, the 55-year-old Italian extended an invitation to walk together, "the first step toward becoming true peacemakers in this delicate, dramatic, and challenging time."
"I come as a brother and father to all," he said, addressing the friars of the Custody in Italian. "Every stone of this land cries out and pleads for authentic and lasting peace, for certain hope," he added.
"As friars of the Custody, coming from different countries, cultures, and traditions, we certainly have different points of view, ideas, and opinions. But we will be authentic witnesses of peace and hope only if, together, despite our diversity, we look in the same direction, all keeping our gaze fixed on Jesus."
Entrusting himself to everyone's prayers, Father Ielpo finally thanked his predecessor Francesco Patton "for the service he carried out with intelligence, wisdom, and tireless generosity over the past nine years filled with ever-new challenges."
Meanwhile, today in the Holy Land was another day of pain and fear over the situation in Gaza and the West Bank.
Following Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) called Pope Leo XIV in the wake of the Israeli attack on the Holy Family Parish.
“During the telephone call, the Holy Father repeated his appeal for international humanitarian law to be fully respected, emphasizing in particular the obligation to protect civilians and sacred places, the prohibition of the indiscriminate use of force and of the forced transfer of the population,” reads the statement released by the Holy See Press Office reporting the phone conversation.
“Given the tragic humanitarian situation, emphasis was placed on the urgent need to provide assistance to those most vulnerable to the consequences of the conflict and to allow the adequate entry of humanitarian aid,” it added.
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02/11/2021 16:14
