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Christmas Celebrations in Bethlehem - Palestine

EDITORIAL USE ONLY - Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, s Patriarchaa of Jerusalem Having just returned from Gaza, addresses the crowd gathered in front of the Church of the Nativity, Manger Square, Bethlehem, Palestine on December 24, 2025. During the 2 previous years, due to the war, Christmas celebrations were not held in Bethlehem. Photo by Oriane Zerah/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations in Bethlehem - Palestine

EDITORIAL USE ONLY - Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, s Patriarchaa of Jerusalem Having just returned from Gaza, addresses the crowd gathered in front of the Church of the Nativity, Manger Square, Bethlehem, Palestine on December 24, 2025. During the 2 previous years, due to the war, Christmas celebrations were not held in Bethlehem. Photo by Oriane Zerah/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations in Bethlehem - Palestine

EDITORIAL USE ONLY - Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, s Patriarchaa of Jerusalem Having just returned from Gaza, addresses the crowd gathered in front of the Church of the Nativity, Manger Square, Bethlehem, Palestine on December 24, 2025. During the 2 previous years, due to the war, Christmas celebrations were not held in Bethlehem. Photo by Oriane Zerah/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations in Bethlehem - Palestine

EDITORIAL USE ONLY - Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, s Patriarchaa of Jerusalem Having just returned from Gaza, leads the messa in the Church of the Nativity, Manger Square, Bethlehem, Palestine on December 24, 2025. During the 2 previous years, due to the war, Christmas celebrations were not held in Bethlehem. Photo by Oriane Zerah/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations in Bethlehem - Palestine

EDITORIAL USE ONLY - Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, s Patriarchaa of Jerusalem Having just returned from Gaza, leads the messa in the Church of the Nativity, Manger Square, Bethlehem, Palestine on December 24, 2025. During the 2 previous years, due to the war, Christmas celebrations were not held in Bethlehem. Photo by Oriane Zerah/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations in Bethlehem - Palestine

EDITORIAL USE ONLY - Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, s Patriarchaa of Jerusalem Having just returned from Gaza, addresses the crowd gathered in front of the Church of the Nativity, Manger Square, Bethlehem, Palestine on December 24, 2025. During the 2 previous years, due to the war, Christmas celebrations were not held in Bethlehem. Photo by Oriane Zerah/ABACAPRESS.COM

E

Christmas Celebrations in Bethlehem - Palestine

EDITORIAL USE ONLY - Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, s Patriarchaa of Jerusalem Having just returned from Gaza, in front of the Church of the Nativity, Manger Square, Bethlehem, Palestine on December 24, 2025. During the 2 previous years, due to the war, Christmas celebrations were not held in Bethlehem. Oriane Zerah /Abaca Press

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Christmas Celebrations in Bethlehem - Palestine

EDITORIAL USE ONLY - Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, s Patriarchaa of Jerusalem Having just returned from Gaza, leads the messa in the Church of the Nativity, Manger Square, Bethlehem, Palestine on December 24, 2025. During the 2 previous years, due to the war, Christmas celebrations were not held in Bethlehem. Photo by Oriane Zerah/ABACAPRESS.COM

E

Christmas Celebrations in Bethlehem - Palestine

EDITORIAL USE ONLY - Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, s Patriarchaa of Jerusalem Having just returned from Gaza, leads the messa in the Church of the Nativity, Manger Square, Bethlehem, Palestine on December 24, 2025. During the 2 previous years, due to the war, Christmas celebrations were not held in Bethlehem. Photo by Oriane Zerah/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas in Bethlehem - West Bank

People dressed in festive costumes pose with children during Christmas celebrations in Manger Square in Bethlehem, West Bank on December 12, 2025. The city hosts the Church of the Nativity, revered by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus. Photo by Mosab Shawer/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas in Bethlehem - West Bank

People gather near a large decorated Christmas tree during Christmas celebrations in Manger Square in Bethlehem, West Bank on December 12, 2025. The city hosts the Church of the Nativity, revered by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus. Photo by Mosab Shawer/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas in Bethlehem - West Bank

A vendor sells light-up balloons near a decorated Christmas tree during Christmas celebrations in Manger Square in Bethlehem, West Bank on December 12, 2025. The city hosts the Church of the Nativity, revered by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus. Photo by Mosab Shawer/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas in Bethlehem - West Bank

A child holds a Christmas-themed decoration while sitting in a vehicle during a holiday parade near Manger Square in Bethlehem, West Bank on December 12, 2025. The parade forms part of preparations for upcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations in the city, which hosts the Church of the Nativity, revered by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus. Photo by Mosab Shawer/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas in Bethlehem - West Bank

A person dressed as Santa Claus waves and rings a bell during Christmas celebrations near Manger Square in Bethlehem, West Bank on December 12, 2025. The city hosts the Church of the Nativity, revered by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus. Photo by Mosab Shawer/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas in Bethlehem - West Bank

A large Christmas tree stands decorated in Manger Square in Bethlehem, West Bank on December 12, 2025. The city hosts the Church of the Nativity, revered by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus. Photo by Mosab Shawer/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas in Bethlehem - West Bank

A person dressed as Santa Claus waves and rings a bell during Christmas celebrations near Manger Square in Bethlehem, West Bank on December 12, 2025. The city hosts the Church of the Nativity, revered by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus. Photo by Mosab Shawer/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas in Bethlehem - West Bank

A vendor sells light-up balloons near a decorated Christmas tree during Christmas celebrations in Manger Square in Bethlehem, West Bank on December 12, 2025. The city hosts the Church of the Nativity, revered by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus. Photo by Mosab Shawer/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Greece: Severe Storms Batter Cyclades, Triggering Flooding 3

Severe weather with heavy rainfall hit the Cyclades, the island group southeast of mainland Greece on Monday, March 31, triggering widespread flooding. Authorities imposed a traffic ban on the islands of Paros and Mykonos due to the severe flooding.

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West Bank Celebrating Christian Christmas - Palestine

Greek Orthodox deacons and clergymen walk in a procession carrying ceremonial items in Manger Square outside the Nativity Church complex in Bethlehem, West Bank, on January 6, 2025. The event is part of the Christmas Eve traditions observed by Eastern Christians. Photo by Mosab Shawer/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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West Bank Celebrating Christian Christmas - Palestine

Greek Orthodox deacons and clergymen walk in a procession carrying ceremonial items in Manger Square outside the Nativity Church complex in Bethlehem, West Bank, on January 6, 2025. The event is part of the Christmas Eve traditions observed by Eastern Christians. Photo by Mosab Shawer/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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West Bank Celebrating Christian Christmas - Palestine

Greek Orthodox deacons and clergymen walk in a procession carrying ceremonial items in Manger Square outside the Nativity Church complex in Bethlehem, West Bank, on January 6, 2025. The event is part of the Christmas Eve traditions observed by Eastern Christians. Photo by Mosab Shawer/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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West Bank Celebrating Christian Christmas - Palestine

Greek Orthodox deacons and clergymen walk in a procession carrying ceremonial items in Manger Square outside the Nativity Church complex in Bethlehem, West Bank, on January 6, 2025. The event is part of the Christmas Eve traditions observed by Eastern Christians. Photo by Mosab Shawer/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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West Bank Celebrating Christian Christmas - Palestine

Greek Orthodox deacons and clergymen walk in a procession carrying ceremonial items in Manger Square outside the Nativity Church complex in Bethlehem, West Bank, on January 6, 2025. The event is part of the Christmas Eve traditions observed by Eastern Christians. Photo by Mosab Shawer/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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West Bank Celebrating Christian Christmas - Palestine

Greek Orthodox deacons and clergymen walk in a procession in Manger Square outside the Nativity Church complex in Bethlehem, West Bank, on January 6, 2025. Eastern Christians gather here to celebrate Christmas Eve according to the Julian calendar. Photo by Mosab Shawer/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Beloved Priest Abbe Pierre Accused Of Sexual Assault

File photo dated February 1, 2004. Abbe Pierre attends a ceremony at Trocadero square in Paris, France, marking the 50th anniversary of his address to the nation on the cold February in 1954. Legendary French priest and a life-long advocate of the homeless was accused of committing acts that would amount to “sexual assault or sexual harassment,” the international foundation he established said in a statement Wednesday. Abbe Pierre, who died in 2007, was one of France’s most beloved public figures. The founder of the international Emmaus Community for the poor, Abbe Pierre had served as France’s conscience since the 1950s, when he persuaded Parliament to pass a law, still on the books, forbidding landlords to evict tenants during winter. Photo by Mousse/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Beloved Priest Abbe Pierre Accused Of Sexual Assault

File photo dated February 1, 2004. Abbe Pierre attends a ceremony at Trocadero square in Paris, France, marking the 50th anniversary of his address to the nation on the cold February in 1954. Legendary French priest and a life-long advocate of the homeless was accused of committing acts that would amount to “sexual assault or sexual harassment,” the international foundation he established said in a statement Wednesday. Abbe Pierre, who died in 2007, was one of France’s most beloved public figures. The founder of the international Emmaus Community for the poor, Abbe Pierre had served as France’s conscience since the 1950s, when he persuaded Parliament to pass a law, still on the books, forbidding landlords to evict tenants during winter. Photo by Mousse/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas in Bethlehem amid Israel-Hamas war

Manger Square in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, usually bustling with tourists and Christian pilgrims, is almost deserted on Dec. 24, 2023, amid the war in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

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Christmas in Bethlehem amid Israel-Hamas war

A nativity scene in Manger Square in the West Bank city of Bethlehem is decorated with rubble and razor wire on Dec. 24, 2023, in honor of the victims of the war in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

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Christmas Celebrations Canceled - Jerusalem

Two women visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) on December 14, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. In solidarity with the suffering in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war, last week Christian leaders and municipal authorities in the West Bank city decided to cancel all public festivities. For the first time since modern celebrations began, the birthplace of Jesus will not decorate the Manger Square tree. It is “not appropriate,” stated local authorities. But the Bethlehem decision is only the most recent. One week earlier, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem asked Christians in the Holy Land to refrain from “unnecessarily festive” Christmas activities. Catholic churches in Galilee requested the same, as did the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land. Photo by Latifeh Abdellatif/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations Canceled - Jerusalem

People visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) on December 14, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. In solidarity with the suffering in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war, last week Christian leaders and municipal authorities in the West Bank city decided to cancel all public festivities. For the first time since modern celebrations began, the birthplace of Jesus will not decorate the Manger Square tree. It is “not appropriate,” stated local authorities. But the Bethlehem decision is only the most recent. One week earlier, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem asked Christians in the Holy Land to refrain from “unnecessarily festive” Christmas activities. Catholic churches in Galilee requested the same, as did the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land. Photo by Latifeh Abdellatif/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations Canceled - Jerusalem

People visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) on December 14, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. In solidarity with the suffering in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war, last week Christian leaders and municipal authorities in the West Bank city decided to cancel all public festivities. For the first time since modern celebrations began, the birthplace of Jesus will not decorate the Manger Square tree. It is “not appropriate,” stated local authorities. But the Bethlehem decision is only the most recent. One week earlier, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem asked Christians in the Holy Land to refrain from “unnecessarily festive” Christmas activities. Catholic churches in Galilee requested the same, as did the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land. Photo by Latifeh Abdellatif/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations Canceled - Jerusalem

People visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) on December 14, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. In solidarity with the suffering in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war, last week Christian leaders and municipal authorities in the West Bank city decided to cancel all public festivities. For the first time since modern celebrations began, the birthplace of Jesus will not decorate the Manger Square tree. It is “not appropriate,” stated local authorities. But the Bethlehem decision is only the most recent. One week earlier, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem asked Christians in the Holy Land to refrain from “unnecessarily festive” Christmas activities. Catholic churches in Galilee requested the same, as did the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land. Photo by Latifeh Abdellatif/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations Canceled - Jerusalem

People visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) on December 14, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. In solidarity with the suffering in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war, last week Christian leaders and municipal authorities in the West Bank city decided to cancel all public festivities. For the first time since modern celebrations began, the birthplace of Jesus will not decorate the Manger Square tree. It is “not appropriate,” stated local authorities. But the Bethlehem decision is only the most recent. One week earlier, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem asked Christians in the Holy Land to refrain from “unnecessarily festive” Christmas activities. Catholic churches in Galilee requested the same, as did the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land. Photo by Latifeh Abdellatif/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations Canceled - Jerusalem

People visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) on December 14, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. In solidarity with the suffering in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war, last week Christian leaders and municipal authorities in the West Bank city decided to cancel all public festivities. For the first time since modern celebrations began, the birthplace of Jesus will not decorate the Manger Square tree. It is “not appropriate,” stated local authorities. But the Bethlehem decision is only the most recent. One week earlier, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem asked Christians in the Holy Land to refrain from “unnecessarily festive” Christmas activities. Catholic churches in Galilee requested the same, as did the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land. Photo by Latifeh Abdellatif/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations Canceled - Jerusalem

People visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) on December 14, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. In solidarity with the suffering in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war, last week Christian leaders and municipal authorities in the West Bank city decided to cancel all public festivities. For the first time since modern celebrations began, the birthplace of Jesus will not decorate the Manger Square tree. It is “not appropriate,” stated local authorities. But the Bethlehem decision is only the most recent. One week earlier, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem asked Christians in the Holy Land to refrain from “unnecessarily festive” Christmas activities. Catholic churches in Galilee requested the same, as did the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land. Photo by Latifeh Abdellatif/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations Canceled - Jerusalem

People visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) on December 14, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. In solidarity with the suffering in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war, last week Christian leaders and municipal authorities in the West Bank city decided to cancel all public festivities. For the first time since modern celebrations began, the birthplace of Jesus will not decorate the Manger Square tree. It is “not appropriate,” stated local authorities. But the Bethlehem decision is only the most recent. One week earlier, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem asked Christians in the Holy Land to refrain from “unnecessarily festive” Christmas activities. Catholic churches in Galilee requested the same, as did the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land. Photo by Latifeh Abdellatif/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations Canceled - Jerusalem

People visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) on December 14, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. In solidarity with the suffering in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war, last week Christian leaders and municipal authorities in the West Bank city decided to cancel all public festivities. For the first time since modern celebrations began, the birthplace of Jesus will not decorate the Manger Square tree. It is “not appropriate,” stated local authorities. But the Bethlehem decision is only the most recent. One week earlier, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem asked Christians in the Holy Land to refrain from “unnecessarily festive” Christmas activities. Catholic churches in Galilee requested the same, as did the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land. Photo by Latifeh Abdellatif/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations Canceled - Jerusalem

People pray at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) on December 14, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. In solidarity with the suffering in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war, last week Christian leaders and municipal authorities in the West Bank city decided to cancel all public festivities. For the first time since modern celebrations began, the birthplace of Jesus will not decorate the Manger Square tree. It is “not appropriate,” stated local authorities. But the Bethlehem decision is only the most recent. One week earlier, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem asked Christians in the Holy Land to refrain from “unnecessarily festive” Christmas activities. Catholic churches in Galilee requested the same, as did the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land. Photo by Latifeh Abdellatif/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations Canceled - Jerusalem

An interior view of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) on December 14, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. In solidarity with the suffering in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war, last week Christian leaders and municipal authorities in the West Bank city decided to cancel all public festivities. For the first time since modern celebrations began, the birthplace of Jesus will not decorate the Manger Square tree. It is “not appropriate,” stated local authorities. But the Bethlehem decision is only the most recent. One week earlier, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem asked Christians in the Holy Land to refrain from “unnecessarily festive” Christmas activities. Catholic churches in Galilee requested the same, as did the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land. Photo by Latifeh Abdellatif/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations Canceled - Jerusalem

People pray at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) on December 14, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. In solidarity with the suffering in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war, last week Christian leaders and municipal authorities in the West Bank city decided to cancel all public festivities. For the first time since modern celebrations began, the birthplace of Jesus will not decorate the Manger Square tree. It is “not appropriate,” stated local authorities. But the Bethlehem decision is only the most recent. One week earlier, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem asked Christians in the Holy Land to refrain from “unnecessarily festive” Christmas activities. Catholic churches in Galilee requested the same, as did the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land. Photo by Latifeh Abdellatif/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations Canceled - Jerusalem

People pray at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) on December 14, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. In solidarity with the suffering in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war, last week Christian leaders and municipal authorities in the West Bank city decided to cancel all public festivities. For the first time since modern celebrations began, the birthplace of Jesus will not decorate the Manger Square tree. It is “not appropriate,” stated local authorities. But the Bethlehem decision is only the most recent. One week earlier, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem asked Christians in the Holy Land to refrain from “unnecessarily festive” Christmas activities. Catholic churches in Galilee requested the same, as did the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land. Photo by Latifeh Abdellatif/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations Canceled - Jerusalem

People pray at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) on December 14, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. In solidarity with the suffering in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war, last week Christian leaders and municipal authorities in the West Bank city decided to cancel all public festivities. For the first time since modern celebrations began, the birthplace of Jesus will not decorate the Manger Square tree. It is “not appropriate,” stated local authorities. But the Bethlehem decision is only the most recent. One week earlier, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem asked Christians in the Holy Land to refrain from “unnecessarily festive” Christmas activities. Catholic churches in Galilee requested the same, as did the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land. Photo by Latifeh Abdellatif/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations Canceled - Jerusalem

A woman visits the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) on December 14, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. In solidarity with the suffering in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war, last week Christian leaders and municipal authorities in the West Bank city decided to cancel all public festivities. For the first time since modern celebrations began, the birthplace of Jesus will not decorate the Manger Square tree. It is “not appropriate,” stated local authorities. But the Bethlehem decision is only the most recent. One week earlier, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem asked Christians in the Holy Land to refrain from “unnecessarily festive” Christmas activities. Catholic churches in Galilee requested the same, as did the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land. Photo by Latifeh Abdellatif/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations Canceled - Jerusalem

An interior view of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) on December 14, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. In solidarity with the suffering in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war, last week Christian leaders and municipal authorities in the West Bank city decided to cancel all public festivities. For the first time since modern celebrations began, the birthplace of Jesus will not decorate the Manger Square tree. It is “not appropriate,” stated local authorities. But the Bethlehem decision is only the most recent. One week earlier, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem asked Christians in the Holy Land to refrain from “unnecessarily festive” Christmas activities. Catholic churches in Galilee requested the same, as did the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land. Photo by Latifeh Abdellatif/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations Canceled - Jerusalem

An interior view of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) on December 14, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. In solidarity with the suffering in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war, last week Christian leaders and municipal authorities in the West Bank city decided to cancel all public festivities. For the first time since modern celebrations began, the birthplace of Jesus will not decorate the Manger Square tree. It is “not appropriate,” stated local authorities. But the Bethlehem decision is only the most recent. One week earlier, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem asked Christians in the Holy Land to refrain from “unnecessarily festive” Christmas activities. Catholic churches in Galilee requested the same, as did the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land. Photo by Latifeh Abdellatif/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations Canceled - Jerusalem

A woman prays at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) on December 14, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. In solidarity with the suffering in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war, last week Christian leaders and municipal authorities in the West Bank city decided to cancel all public festivities. For the first time since modern celebrations began, the birthplace of Jesus will not decorate the Manger Square tree. It is “not appropriate,” stated local authorities. But the Bethlehem decision is only the most recent. One week earlier, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem asked Christians in the Holy Land to refrain from “unnecessarily festive” Christmas activities. Catholic churches in Galilee requested the same, as did the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land. Photo by Latifeh Abdellatif/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations Canceled - Jerusalem

A woman prays at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) on December 14, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. In solidarity with the suffering in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war, last week Christian leaders and municipal authorities in the West Bank city decided to cancel all public festivities. For the first time since modern celebrations began, the birthplace of Jesus will not decorate the Manger Square tree. It is “not appropriate,” stated local authorities. But the Bethlehem decision is only the most recent. One week earlier, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem asked Christians in the Holy Land to refrain from “unnecessarily festive” Christmas activities. Catholic churches in Galilee requested the same, as did the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land. Photo by Latifeh Abdellatif/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations Canceled - Jerusalem

An interior view of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) on December 14, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. In solidarity with the suffering in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war, last week Christian leaders and municipal authorities in the West Bank city decided to cancel all public festivities. For the first time since modern celebrations began, the birthplace of Jesus will not decorate the Manger Square tree. It is “not appropriate,” stated local authorities. But the Bethlehem decision is only the most recent. One week earlier, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem asked Christians in the Holy Land to refrain from “unnecessarily festive” Christmas activities. Catholic churches in Galilee requested the same, as did the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land. Photo by Latifeh Abdellatif/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations Canceled - Jerusalem

An interior view of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) on December 14, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. In solidarity with the suffering in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war, last week Christian leaders and municipal authorities in the West Bank city decided to cancel all public festivities. For the first time since modern celebrations began, the birthplace of Jesus will not decorate the Manger Square tree. It is “not appropriate,” stated local authorities. But the Bethlehem decision is only the most recent. One week earlier, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem asked Christians in the Holy Land to refrain from “unnecessarily festive” Christmas activities. Catholic churches in Galilee requested the same, as did the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land. Photo by Latifeh Abdellatif/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Christmas Celebrations Canceled - Jerusalem

An interior view of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) on December 14, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. In solidarity with the suffering in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war, last week Christian leaders and municipal authorities in the West Bank city decided to cancel all public festivities. For the first time since modern celebrations began, the birthplace of Jesus will not decorate the Manger Square tree. It is “not appropriate,” stated local authorities. But the Bethlehem decision is only the most recent. One week earlier, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem asked Christians in the Holy Land to refrain from “unnecessarily festive” Christmas activities. Catholic churches in Galilee requested the same, as did the Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land. Photo by Latifeh Abdellatif/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM