The Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land issued a strong condemnation against an early morning arson attack on the Benedictine Church of the Multiplication at Tabgha on the Sea of Galilee on June 18. The council, which is made up of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, the Heads of the Local Churches of the Holy Land and the Ministry of Islamic Waqf of the Palestinian Authority, said they were outraged by the arson and vandalism. “Since December 2009, about 43 churches and mosques were torched or desecrated, yet not a single person has been prosecuted by the authorities,” a C.R.I.H.L. statement said. It called on authorities to “bring the perpetrators to justice, prevent such attacks and restore safety and respect for holy sites of all religions.” The church is built on the spot where Christian tradition holds that Jesus miraculously multiplied five loaves and two fishes to feed the 5,000. A spokesperson said the blaze caused millions of dollars in damage.
Holy Land Arson
Show Comments (
)
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
The latest from america
Describing the Curia as the institution that preserves “the historical memory of the church,” Pope Leo called on these Vatican employees to “work together” with him “in the great cause of unity and love.”
Pope Leo offered a heartening message for a global media that has endured a pretty awful year.
If you think our enthusiasm for our basketball team was intense, just wait until you see our support for Pope Leo XIV.
“I don’t think he’s the kind of man who sends coded messages,” Cardinal Michael Czerny says in this exclusive interview with Gerard O’Connell.