Some 7,000 Catholics mark end of the Year of Faith in Nazareth

November 22, 2013 - More than 7,000 people came together in Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth last Sunday, for a Mass to mark International Day of Faith. The Mass was attended by clergymen and believers from Catholic communities from across the Holy Land, Palestine and Jordan. Representatives of the Latin, Melkite, Maronite, and Syro-Antiochian Churches were present, as were many Filipino families who came to Nazareth to pray in memory of the victims of the Typhoon Haiyan. Led by Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal of Jerusalem, the celebration was one of the concluding events of the Year of Faith that began on Oct. 11, , 2012 and concludes next Sunday, Nov. 24, the feast of Christ the King. Pope Francis will himself conclude the year with a solemn Mass in St Peter's Square, in Rome. Patriarch Twal read a personal message from the pope extolling the primacy of the Holy Land in the Christian faith. He also spoke about the great tragedy of the Syrian War, which drove 500,000 people to seek refuge in Jordan and Lebanon, many of whom supported by Christian charities and families. "The importance of faith is much more than intellectual acceptance of God's truths," the patriarch said. "It is about freely and fully accepting [them], as a child does with his parents." (Source: AsiaNews)