Year of Faith for Holy Land's Catholic Churches to conclude in Nazareth
Nazareth, 03 August 2013: In Holy Land the Year of Faith will end on Sunday November
17 in Nazareth, with an "International Day of Faith" and with a solemn Mass presided
over by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal.
The Catholic Churches
of the Holy Land, along with the Custody of the Holy Land, have chosen to close the
year proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI as "a time of particular reflection" to "foster
a more complete conversion to God". The Mass will be held at the Mount of Precipice,
in the place where already in May 14, 2009 the Liturgy of the Eucharist celebrated
by Benedict XVI was held. The day will be marked by a number of initiatives, with
the opportunity to visit all the Holy Places of Nazareth, and to take part in a torchlight
procession to the Basilica of the Annunciation.
"The ministry of tourism"
explains to Fides Agency Bishop William Shomali, Patriarchal Vicar of the Patriarch
of Jerusalem of the Latins "gave its contribution to prepare the site of the Mount
of the Precipice, which can accommodate 60 thousand faithful. We hope it will be a
great feast for the people of God, marked by the massive participation of many foreign
workers - Indians, Filipinos and all the others - that belong to the Catholic Church.
This is why we are thinking about a Liturgy celebrated in several languages. The celebration,
convened by the 'mother church' of Jerusalem, will be a vivid image of the universality
of the Church".
The celebrations of Nazareth will anticipate the closing events
of the Year of Faith, which will take place at the Vatican Sunday, November 24, the
Solemnity of Christ the King by a week.Source: Fides