Merry Christmas from Bethlehem

FOR US CHRISTIANS, the birth of Jesus is of untold significance. When we celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas in our communities, the warmth and joy of the festive season contaminates everything and everyone, even those of other faiths or none. Our villages, towns, cities and countryside become adorned with myriad illuminations and decorations, while songs, laughter and a touch of kindness suffuse our deeds and actions. The joy we experience during this period had its beginning in a tiny stable in Bethlehem, Palestine, over 2000 years ago, and has been with us ever since.

Because of the extraordinary nature of this religious feast, millions of homes throughout the world reconstruct that original event with great joy every year in the form of the Christmas crèche, but in Bethlehem, Christmas is of even greater importance, for in that little town the event comes with the added weight of historical reality, and the inhabitants of the small Palestinian town can truly say to themselves, “Jesus was actually born HERE!”

 

Fr Stephane Milovitch

 

This journalist had always wanted to know more about Christmas in the Saviour’s own birth-town, and now, in the latter part of my career, I was given the chance to satisfy this long-cherished hope when the director of this magazine, Father Mario Conte, asked me to interview a French friar who is eminently suited to convey to us something of the spiritual aura that pervades Bethlehem during the festive season. With a bachelor’s degree in sacred liturgy, Father Stephane Milovitch was Secretary of the Custody of the Holy Land for six years, before becoming, in 2010, Guardian of the friars in Bethlehem, where the Franciscans have been residing since 1279. Fr Stephane, who is now 45 years old, has been living in the Holy Land since 1992, and has so far spent fifteen Christmases at Bethlehem.

The engaging friar welcomed me with joy and was glad to share his experience of Christmas in Bethlehem with our readers.

The Church of the Nativity is a powerful magnet for tourists from all over the world. The origins of this august shrine date back to 326, the year when Queen Helen, mother of Emperor Constantine, ordered that a church be built on the spot where, according to tradition, Jesus had been born. In the course of the centuries, the church was destroyed and rebuilt several times.

In its interior, stairs lead down to a crypt which contains the Grotto of the Nativity. This is the grotto-stable where, according to the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, Mary and Joseph sought refuge because “there was no room for them at the inn” and where Mary subsequently gave birth to the Baby Jesus, wrapped him in bands of cloths and placed him in a manger.

The Grotto of the Nativity contains three distinct prayer sites: the place where the actual delivery took place (which is indicated by a 14-pointed silver star); a few yards away is the crèche, which is a reconstruction of the manger where Mary placed her newborn babe; and in front of all this stands the altar of the Three Wise Men, the place where the famed astronomers from the East stopped and knelt to worship the Divine Child.

 

Christmas aura

 

Fr Stephane, life must be hectic in Bethlehem on December 25?

No, quite the contrary. Though the place is filled with huge crowds on that day, an incredible atmosphere of peace and joy still reigns over the town. You must know that, in actual fact, here in Bethlehem every day is Christmas because pilgrims, who continuously flock to this town at all times during the year, be it in February, July or October, come here specifically to celebrate Christmas. As  Franciscan friars, we welcome and guide them, and thus experience Christmas with them every day. The daily liturgical celebrations in the Grotto constantly reiterate the phrase: Jesus is born today. However, on December 25, this ‘Christmas aura’ that constantly surrounds the town, peaks to an unimaginable intensity.

 

How do you friars organise December 25?

We prepare the event well in advance. It all starts on the Saturday just before the first Advent Sunday. The Custos of the Holy Land, Fr Pierbattista Pizzaballa, after presiding over the Vespers, lights the first Advent candle in the Grotto of the Nativity. A singular enthusiasm falls on Bethlehem on that day, which even spreads to the Muslims of the city, while the faithful recite special prayers in the churches and in their homes. Decorations and lights are prepared with great passion and devotion and, just a few days before Christmas, there is the traditional switching on ceremony of the Tree of Peace, a huge pine tree, near the Church of the Nativity.

 

One big happy family

 

What actually takes place on the big day?

The day is mainly characterised by prayer – an immense, continuous choral prayer. Starting from the afternoon of December 24 right through the evening of the 25th, the whole town becomes one great church filled with liturgical and Eucharistic prayers, recited by people of all Christian denominations from all over the world.

All the priests, bishops and religious residing in the Holy Land come to Bethlehem on that day. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, the highest Catholic authority in the Holy Land, who since 2008 is Archbishop Fouad Twal, presides over the main religious ceremonies.

The civic authorities are also present, including the Mayor of Bethlehem who, by law, must be a Christian. Because Bethlehem is not located in the State of Israel, but in the Arab controlled West Bank, Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas), President of the Palestinian National Authority, is present with all his ministers. They are all of Muslims. Along with them are the Consuls of Italy, France, Belgium and Spain, the Catholic countries with diplomatic representation in Palestine, as well as other political figures and diplomats from the Middle East, Europe and other parts of the world.

Bethlehem thus becomes, on that day, a great ecumenical centre, and is pervaded by a mystical atmosphere of peace and harmony. It is as though the whole world had suddenly become one big happy family.

 

When do the actual ceremonies begin?

It all starts early in the afternoon of December 24, with the ceremony of the arrival of the Patriarch. This observance takes place in accordance with a very ancient protocol.

A procession of cars carrying the Patriarch and his assistants leaves the headquarters of the Patriarchate in Jerusalem. This part of the ceremony is controlled by Israeli police, who close off all side streets along the route from Jerusalem to Bethlehem and ensure that the traffic lights are always green for the procession. During the six mile trip separating the two cities, the Patriarch is cheered by crowds lining the main road.

The long line of cars, which is also accompanied by five horses, first stops at the Monastery of St Elias on the outskirts of Bethlehem. It is here that the civic and religious authorities of the city welcome the Patriarch.

Bethlehem is surrounded by a Wall which separates the State of Israel from the West Bank, so the procession must enter through a check point that is only opened for this, and for few other occasions. For political reasons, before passing through the entrance, the five Israeli horses accompanying the procession are substituted with five Palestinian ones.

Once the procession has entered Bethlehem it stops at the Tomb of Rachel, where the Patriarch is greeted by the parish priests of the city. After this all the cars, escorted by Scouts, head directly for Manger Square in front of the Church of the Nativity. Crowds of up to 100,000 visitors and tourists from around the world cram up the square to watch the procession. In the evening the crowds gather at the Manger Square to listen to various choirs and orchestras which sing Christmas carols.

 

Do you have any official role?

In my capacity as Guardian of the Franciscan community, I receive the Patriarch at the Door of Humility, the small rectangular entrance to the Basilica of the Nativity. Having entered the Shrine we all proceed to the adjoining Church of St Catherine, where the Patriarch presides over the first religious ceremony: Solemn Vespers.

At 4:00 pm the Patriarch and all the friars make a procession to the Grotto of the Nativity. This is something we friars do every day, only this time the Patriarch is with us, and he gives a solemn touch to the procession. In this particular liturgy I preside over the celebration while the Patriarch assists.

 

Fraternal meal

 

What do you do after the Solemn Vespers?

All the friars prepare the Church for the Midnight Mass, which is attended by people from all over the world. The Church has a capacity for 500 seats; however, by removing all the benches we manage to create enough space to contain about 2,000 faithful. To control the large influx of people we distribute tickets, which are, however, free.

Once this is done we start preparing the Christmas Eve meal. This is served at the Franciscan ‘Casa Nova’, a pilgrimage hostel which provides board and lodgings.

The meal is part of the protocol, and our guests are the friars of the Holy Land, who are all in Bethlehem for the occasion, the civic authorities of Bethlehem, the Patriarch, the bishops, the consuls and, finally, President Abu Mazen and his ministers. This meal is characterised by fraternity, friendship and harmony.

At around 9:00 pm we open the doors of the church to the pilgrims crowded outside. For security reasons entry to the church is a slow process because everyone must first pass through a metal detector.

 

At what time does the Midnight Mass start?

At 11:30 pm the liturgy dedicated to the birth of Jesus begins. It is presided over by the Patriarch, and is concelebrated by bishops and priests, in general about 150 of them. The whole liturgy is broadcast live around the world, and is preceded by the Office of Readings as prescribed by ceremonial protocol.

When President Abu Mazen and his ministers arrive they are warmly received by the Patriarch. At midnight the bells begin to ring out while the choir starts to sing the ‘Gloria’. An altar server removes the curtain covering a statue of the Baby Jesus which has been placed on a red pillow under the altar. This is a very moving moment because the Gloria is sung from the very place where the shepherds heard that song from the angels: Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will.

At this stage the Patriarch pays homage to the God made Man by incensing the statue of the Baby Jesus; he then starts the Mass, which is held in Latin, but is enriched with readings from eight different languages.

President Abu Mazen and his following are Muslims, and according to an ancient tradition, Muslims are allowed to assist at Mass, but must leave before Holy Communion. Therefore, after the Agnus Dei, all Muslims present leave the church. When they have left the Mass continues and the faithful receive Communion while the choir sings the traditional Christmas hymns.

 

A mystery play

 

What takes place after the Midnight Mass?

At the end of the celebration the statue of the Baby Jesus is removed from the altar by the Patriarch and taken in solemn procession to the Chapel of the Manger in the Grotto. This manger is truly unique because it is located on the very spot where the original manger as described in the Gospels was situated. The procession with the Baby Jesus is restricted to the concelebrants and to few others, because of the cramped dimensions of the Grotto.

At this stage a deeply moving ceremony takes place; it is a sort of ‘mystery play’ accompanied by ancient Gregorian Latin chants dating from the 6th century. The first part is held just next to the silver star, indicating the actual place where the Baby was born. The chief singer proclaims those Gospel passages that relate the story of Jesus’ birth, but adds various details, like the word ‘hic’ (here), that emphasise how the participants are in the actual place where it all happened. He then recalls that Mary covered the baby in bands of cloth, so the Patriarch, with the loving embrace of a mother, gently covers the statue with white cloths.

Then the deacon takes over, singing that the Baby was placed in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn, and then again the word ‘hic’ (here) is added, because the manger where the statue is being placed is in the exact location where the original manger was. The song and the Patriarch’s loving care of the Baby Jesus recount the most significant event in all history because it has meant the pouring into a sick world of the healing medicine of God’s never-ending love.

 

Christmas wishes

 

Are any Masses held in Arabic?

The Christmas celebrations, which began at 9:00 pm with the entry of the faithful, are over at 3:00 am. However, as I said previously, Christmas in Bethlehem is characterised by continuous prayer. Masses at the Grotto begin at midnight, and are then held continuously for the whole of December 25, as in the other churches in Bethlehem. Where people are not praying, they are singing, even out in the open. Numerous local or tourist choirs can be heard chanting Christmas songs in various parts of the town, creating an atmosphere of celestial warmth and harmony.

On Christmas Day at 10:00 am the Patriarch returns to the Church to celebrate a second solemn Mass. This is the parish Mass and is held in Arabic in the presence of a huge crowd of enthusiastic parishioners – the intensity of this Mass is truly extraordinary. After this Mass the Patriarch blesses all the faithful and returns to Jerusalem, but the prayers and songs in Bethlehem continue.

 

The birth of Jesus is fast approaching. What Christmas wishes would you like to extend to our readers?

My wishes are both Christian and Franciscan. As a Christian, I wish that the readers of this magazine may experience the birth of Jesus as an event which takes place within their hearts, and that they may nurture and care for this delicate Child throughout the course of the coming year, for He alone is the true fount of life.

As a Franciscan my wish is that your readers may be able to see Christmas in a more realistic, objective manner, just like Saint Francis did in Greccio. He wanted “to set before our bodily eyes the inconveniences of his infancy, how he lay in the manger and how the ox and the ass stood by,” in order to better appreciate how great His love for us is.