BETHLEHEM, West Bank (OSV News) -- The Christmas spirit in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ, was festive yet overshadowed on Christmas Eve by the grim realities of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Palestinian scouts processed quietly through the streets, their usual raucous instruments silenced. A towering Christmas tree typically graces Manger Square, just across from the Church of the Nativity, which marks the site where Christians believe Jesus was born over 2,000 years ago.
Even though the patriarchs and church leaders in the Holy Land decided that Christmas will be more festive in 2024 than in 2023, despite ongoing war, and encouraged "congregations and people to fully commemorate the approach and arrival of Christ's birth by giving public signs of Christian hope" -- such as Christmas lights on the streets -- the atmosphere was much calmer than before the Israel-Hamas war.
Bethlehem's streets, usually bustling with pilgrims and festive cheer, were subdued as local Christians gathered for the midnight Mass at the Church of St. Catherine. Entrance tickets were not required this year, as church officials did not anticipate the typical crowds.
The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, presided over the liturgy, delivering a sober homily addressing the profound suffering of the Holy Land while calling for renewed hope in the light of the Jubilee Year.
The cardinal's words resonated deeply with the Bethlehem faithful present as they reflected on a year marred by violence, economic hardship and shattered dreams.
Acknowledging the painful realities of 2024, Cardinal Pizzaballa admitted the difficulty of proclaiming the joy of Christmas amid "tears, bloodshed, suffering." Yet, he urged the faithful to find solace and strength in the story of Christ's humble birth, noting its parallels with the struggles of today.
"The Angels' song of glory, joy, and peace seems out of tune after a tiring year," the patriarch said, yet "The Child of Bethlehem takes us by the hand tonight and leads us with Him into history. He accompanies us so that we make history our own to the very end and so that we walk through it with the pace of trust and hope in Him."
However, "I frankly admit," the patriarch said, "that it is hard for me this year to announce the joy of Christ's birth to you here and to all those who look to Bethlehem from all over the world."
Local Palestinians echoed the patriarch's words.
"Do you think it is easy for me to celebrate and put up a tree while my family and my people in Gaza are dying?" said Nohan Tawarzy, a Gaza Strip Christian, who moved to Bethlehem before the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. "I didn't put up a Christmas tree. ... I used to put it up, but this year I didn't."
Reflecting on the Gospel of Luke, Cardinal Pizzaballa spoke of Joseph and Mary's journey to Bethlehem under the rule of an empire that dictated their movements. He noted that their experience of the first Christmas was not one of comfort or convenience but of faith and openness to God's plan. "Believing is seeing," Cardinal Pizzaballa said, emphasizing that true faith brings an enlightened perspective on history, even in the face of adversity.
He reminded the faithful that the birth of Christ represents God's personal involvement in human history. "This Child shows us the unprecedented and unheard-of gesture of God who does not flee from history ... but embraces it, loves it, enters it with the delicate and strong pace of a newborn Child," he said.
For Saif, a 31-year-old Bethlehemite who only gave his first name, the war has brought great difficulty for his family, who own a religious souvenir shop in the town. "I remember the Second Intifada, the second uprising; yes this was a better time than today."
Bethlehem's Christian community is sustained chiefly by tourism, making up more than 70% of the local economy. Saif observed that the current war has left people without a sense of stability or a clear future. "Look at the faces of the people you understand, and you will recognize what I mean."
The cardinal's homily addressed the pressing need for a jubilee -- a year of forgiveness, reconciliation and renewal -- in the Holy Land. He called for serious and credible efforts toward peace, urging an end to the language of violence and hatred that has perpetuated the region's suffering. "We need a new beginning in all spheres of life," he said. "A new vision, the courage to look to the future with hope."
Faith is a solace to some in the community. "What Christmas means for us is life," said Father Hanna Mass'ad, pastor of Our Lady of the Annunciation in Beit Jala. "To have Christmas is to have life back for this Holy Land."
Ending his homily on a note of encouragement, the patriarch called for outward signs of celebration to proclaim the hope brought by Christ's birth. "Let us also celebrate Christmas with outward signs of celebration, for a Child has been born for us and has filled history and the whole world with hope. He has transformed sorrows into labor pains and has given us all the opportunity to anticipate the dawn of a new world."
As the midnight Mass concluded with the singing of "Gloria in Excelsis Deo," the message of the patriarch reverberated throughout the historic church and beyond, offering a promise of hope.
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