{"id":74705,"date":"2026-02-26T09:46:04","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T09:46:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/?p=74705"},"modified":"2026-02-26T09:46:04","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T09:46:04","slug":"come-back-to-the-holy-land-custos-calls-pilgrims-to-visit-land-of-jesus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/learn\/come-back-to-the-holy-land-custos-calls-pilgrims-to-visit-land-of-jesus\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Keer terug naar het Heilige Land\u2019: Custos roept pelgrims op om het land van Jezus te bezoeken"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n The interior of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. In the center, the Stone of Anointing, with Calvary in the background. | Credit: Marinella Bandini<\/span>\n<\/div>\n

Jan 10, 2026 \/ 08:00 am (CNA).<\/p>\n

Hier is een overzicht van het katholieke wereldnieuws van de afgelopen week dat u mogelijk heeft gemist:<\/p>\n

\u2018Keer terug naar het Heilige Land\u2019: Custos roept pelgrims op om het land van Jezus te bezoeken<\/h2>\n

Speaking to a group of pilgrims from Rome at the Franciscan headquarters in the Old City of Jerusalem on Jan. 7, Franciscan Father Francesco Ielpo, custos of the Holy Land, called pilgrims back to the Holy Land, saying that the best way to help the Holy Land and the people there is to visit.<\/p>\n

\u201cFear is not overcome with words; it is overcome with witness. Seeing Christians from all over the world come to the Holy Land to visit the holy places generates hope and strengthens the reason for coming here \u2014 not to see a museum but to encounter a living Church,\u201d Ielpo said.<\/p>\n

Religious pilgrimages and tourism are some of the main sources of economic support for the local Christian community in the Holy Land. Around 50,000 remain there \u2014 6,000 of whom live in Jerusalem, volgens Vatican News<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Tasmania priest appointed bishop of Ballarat, Australia<\/h2>\n

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Tasmania priest Father Mark William Freeman as the new bishop of Ballarat, Australia. He will succeed Bishop Paul Bird, CSsR, who has led the Ballarat Diocese since 2012.<\/p>\n

Freeman, 66, is currently a parish priest in Bellerive-Lindisfarne in the Archdiocese of Hobart, Tasmania.<\/p>\n

The Australian Catholic Bishops\u2019 Conference president, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, SDB, said the announcement will be met with great joy in Ballarat. \u201cHis wide experience and many gifts, his deep faith and his pastoral sensitivity will also be greatly valued by his brother bishops as he joins them in their pastoral oversight of the Catholic Church in Australia,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

UN secretary calls on Israel to reverse ban on aid organizations helping in Gaza<\/h2>\n

As the new year began, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Israel to end a ban on humanitarian agencies that provide aid in Gaza. The government recently announced it was suspending 37 foreign humanitarian organizations from accessing the Gaza Strip after they refused to share lists of their Palestinian employees with government officials, Agence France-Presse reported<\/a>. The list includes Catholic aid agencies Caritas Internationalis and Caritas Jerusalem and goes into effect March 1.<\/p>\n

Caritas Internationalis is the Church\u2019s confederation of relief and development agencies.<\/p>\n

Guterres, through spokesman St\u00e9phane Dujarric, called the work of international nongovernmental organizations \u201cindispensable to lifesaving humanitarian work\u201d and said that the suspension \u201crisks undermining the fragile progress made during the ceasefire.\u201d <\/p>\n

Swiss bishop offers Mass for victims of tragic New Year\u2019s Eve fire<\/h2>\n

Bishop Jean-Marie Lovey of Sion, Switzerland, presided at a Requiem Mass on the evening of Jan. 1 for the victims of the fire that broke out in a ski resort bar on New Year\u2019s Eve, volgens Vatican News<\/a>. The Mass was prayed in the Saint-Christophe chapel in Crans and broadcast on television, after which mourners processed to the site of the disaster with flowers. <\/p>\n

The following day, Jan. 2, church bells were rung throughout the Diocese of Sion \u201cas a sign of solidarity and prayer,\u201d according to the Tablet<\/a>, which also reported that churches in Switzerland and other countries have offered condolences to victims\u2019 families.<\/p>\n

Aleppo under fire as Christians face displacement once again<\/h2>\n

Aleppo has been gripped by fear and uncertainty following the return of heavy fighting to residential neighborhoods, with gunfire and shelling prompting sudden curfews and large-scale civilian displacement, ACI MENA, CNA<\/a>\u2019 s Arabic-language news partner, has reported<\/a>. Syrian government forces imposed restrictions on the districts of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh after violent clashes with Kurdish-led Asayish forces.<\/p>\n

The escalation coincided with Epiphany and Christmas celebrations for some Eastern Christian communities, leading to canceled services and subdued worship, as clergy once again appealed for dialogue and an end to violence.<\/p>\n

Thousands of families have fled the affected areas, while others remain despite the risks. Nearby government-controlled neighborhoods, some with a strong Christian presence, have also experienced waves of displacement as the violence spread, marking one of the most intense escalations in the city in several years. Churches across Aleppo have responded by opening their doors as temporary shelters. <\/p>\n

Catholics in India appeal to government to address violence against Christians<\/h2>\n

As attacks against Christians increase across India, the All India Catholic Union (AICU), has appealed to India\u2019s government to \u201curgently address the issue of targeted violence against Christians, which peaked during the Christmas season,\u201d according to a report by persecution.org<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The AICU, which represents about 16 million Catholics in 120 dioceses across India, said in a press release that \u201ctoken gestures by national leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, such as attending Christian worship services etc., are inadequate without firm action, accountability, and legal reform.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe violence and hate experienced by Christians in India throughout 2025, especially during the Christmas season, represent not only attacks on individuals but also on the pluralistic fabric of Indian society,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n

Cardinal Souraphiel appeals for solidarity as Ethiopia begins Christmas season<\/h2>\n

As the Christmas season began on Jan. 7 in Ethiopia, Cardinal Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel<\/a> expressed his spiritual closeness with Ethiopians, appealing for solidarity \u201cwith those displaced and exiled by war amid conflicts in some regions of the country, according to ACI Africa, CNA\u2019s news partner in Africa.<\/a><\/p>\n

In his Christmas message, which ACI Africa obtained, the cardinal also called for spiritual closeness with those suffering in various ways, including those on the streets, the sick, and the lonely.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on what various Church fathers have written on the mystery of the Incarnation, the cardinal said that the \u201cmystery of Christianity is truly astonishing, not only that God became human, but that he became bread fit to be eaten by humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/268989\/come-back-to-the-holy-land-custos-calls-pilgrims-to-visit-land-of-jesus<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The interior of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. In the center, the Stone of Anointing, with Calvary in the background. | Credit: Marinella Bandini Jan 10, 2026 \/ 08:00 am (CNA). Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed: \u2018Come back to the [\u2026]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":79133,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[100],"tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-74705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-christian-news"],"mb":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/%E2%80%98Come-back-to-the-Holy-Land-Custos-calls-pilgrims-to-visit-land-of-Jesus.jpg?fit=6750%2C4500&quality=80&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":70316,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/learn\/giving-people-hope-is-greatest-challenge-custos-of-holy-land-says-in-u-s-visit\/","url_meta":{"origin":74705,"position":0},"title":"Giving people hope is greatest challenge, custos of Holy Land says in U.S. visit","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"december 5, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Custos of the Holy Land Father Franceso Ielpo speaks with EWTN News in a two-part interview that began airing on \u201cEWTN News Nightly\u201d on Nov. 24, 2025. \/ Credit: \u201cEWTN News Nightly\u201d\/Screenshot Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 25, 2025 \/ 09:00 am (CNA). The custos of the Holy Land said in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Christian News"","block_context":{"text":"Christian News","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/learn\/category\/christian-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Giving people hope is greatest challenge, custos of Holy Land says in U.S. visit","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Giving-people-hope-is-greatest-challenge-custos-of-Holy-Land-says-in-U.S.-visit.webp?fit=800%2C462&quality=75&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Giving-people-hope-is-greatest-challenge-custos-of-Holy-Land-says-in-U.S.-visit.webp?fit=800%2C462&quality=75&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Giving-people-hope-is-greatest-challenge-custos-of-Holy-Land-says-in-U.S.-visit.webp?fit=800%2C462&quality=75&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Giving-people-hope-is-greatest-challenge-custos-of-Holy-Land-says-in-U.S.-visit.webp?fit=800%2C462&quality=75&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":52855,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/learn\/pope-leo-xiv-approves-new-custos-of-the-holy-land-amid-regional-crisis\/","url_meta":{"origin":74705,"position":1},"title":"Pope Leo XIV approves new custos of the Holy Land amid regional crisis","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"juni 27, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Father Francesco Ielpo, a Franciscan friar, on June 24, 2025, was appointed the new custos of the Holy Land and guardian of Mount Zion. Previously, since 2022, he was president of the Holy Land Foundation in addition to holding other organizational roles across Italian Franciscan provinces. \/ Credit: Custodia Terr\u00e6\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Christian News"","block_context":{"text":"Christian News","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/learn\/category\/christian-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pope Leo XIV approves new custos of the Holy Land amid regional crisis","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Pope-Leo-XIV-approves-new-custos-of-the-Holy-Land-amid-regional-crisis.webp?fit=700%2C450&quality=75&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Pope-Leo-XIV-approves-new-custos-of-the-Holy-Land-amid-regional-crisis.webp?fit=700%2C450&quality=75&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Pope-Leo-XIV-approves-new-custos-of-the-Holy-Land-amid-regional-crisis.webp?fit=700%2C450&quality=75&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Pope-Leo-XIV-approves-new-custos-of-the-Holy-Land-amid-regional-crisis.webp?fit=700%2C450&quality=75&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":56710,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/learn\/outgoing-custos-of-the-holy-land-proposes-a-path-to-peace\/","url_meta":{"origin":74705,"position":2},"title":"Outgoing custos of the Holy Land proposes a path to peace","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"oktober 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Friar Francesco Patton, outgoing custos of the Holy Land. \/ Credit: Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 15, 2025 \/ 06:00 am (CNA). Friar Francesco Patton, the outgoing Franciscan custos of the Holy Land, reflected on his nine years in office and proposed a path to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Christian News"","block_context":{"text":"Christian News","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/learn\/category\/christian-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Outgoing custos of the Holy Land proposes a path to peace","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Outgoing-custos-of-the-Holy-Land-proposes-a-path-to-peace.webp?fit=667%2C446&quality=75&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Outgoing-custos-of-the-Holy-Land-proposes-a-path-to-peace.webp?fit=667%2C446&quality=75&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Outgoing-custos-of-the-Holy-Land-proposes-a-path-to-peace.webp?fit=667%2C446&quality=75&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":33930,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/learn\/amid-ongoing-war-and-blockades-holy-land-christians-insist-on-celebrating-easter\/","url_meta":{"origin":74705,"position":3},"title":"Amid ongoing war and blockades, Holy Land Christians insist on celebrating Easter","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"april 19, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"[ad_1] The custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Patton, anoints the statue of Jesus on the Stone of Anointing during the ceremony known as the \"funeral procession\u201d on Good Friday night 2024. According to the tradition and the Status Quo, on the evening of Good Friday \u2014 both Catholic\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Christian News"","block_context":{"text":"Christian News","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/learn\/category\/christian-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1745094453_dsc-6940.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&quality=80&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1745094453_dsc-6940.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&quality=80&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1745094453_dsc-6940.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&quality=80&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1745094453_dsc-6940.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&quality=80&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1745094453_dsc-6940.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&quality=80&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":21803,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/learn\/cardinal-pizzaballa-pope-francis-calls-holy-family-church-in-gaza-every-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":74705,"position":4},"title":"Cardinal Pizzaballa: Pope Francis calls Holy Family Church in Gaza every day","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"december 7, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"[ad_1] When asked what Christians can do outside the Holy Land, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa responded: \"Pray and support. Support the Christian community as much as they can.\u201d \/ Credit: EWTN News Rome Newsroom, Dec 6, 2024 \/ 17:20 pm (CNA). Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM, said on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Christian News"","block_context":{"text":"Christian News","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/learn\/category\/christian-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/1729574775_pizza.b.jpg?fit=670%2C446&quality=80&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/1729574775_pizza.b.jpg?fit=670%2C446&quality=80&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/1729574775_pizza.b.jpg?fit=670%2C446&quality=80&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":71029,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/learn\/latin-patriarch-of-jerusalems-visit-to-u-s-will-spotlight-plight-of-holy-land-christians\/","url_meta":{"origin":74705,"position":5},"title":"Latin patriarch of Jerusalem\u2019s visit to U.S. will spotlight plight of Holy Land Christians","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"februari 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem. \/ Credit: Photo courtesy of Custos of the Holy Land Detroit, Michigan, Dec 3, 2025 \/ 06:00 am (CNA). The Archdiocese of Detroit will welcome Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, for a pastoral visit Dec. 4\u20137. In an interview with CNA,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Christian News"","block_context":{"text":"Christian News","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/learn\/category\/christian-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Latin patriarch of Jerusalem\u2019s visit to U.S. will spotlight plight of Holy Land Christians","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Latin-patriarch-of-Jerusalems-visit-to-U.S.-will-spotlight-plight-of-Holy-Land-Christians.png?fit=1200%2C335&quality=69&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Latin-patriarch-of-Jerusalems-visit-to-U.S.-will-spotlight-plight-of-Holy-Land-Christians.png?fit=1200%2C335&quality=69&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Latin-patriarch-of-Jerusalems-visit-to-U.S.-will-spotlight-plight-of-Holy-Land-Christians.png?fit=1200%2C335&quality=69&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Latin-patriarch-of-Jerusalems-visit-to-U.S.-will-spotlight-plight-of-Holy-Land-Christians.png?fit=1200%2C335&quality=69&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Latin-patriarch-of-Jerusalems-visit-to-U.S.-will-spotlight-plight-of-Holy-Land-Christians.png?fit=1200%2C335&quality=69&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"mfb_rest_fields":["title","jetpack_publicize_connections","jetpack_featured_media_url","jetpack-related-posts","jetpack_sharing_enabled"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74705","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74705"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74705\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74705"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=74705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}