” “"The Pope’s visit requires a given atmosphere in the Catholic community as well as in the society in which the Catholics live. What is needed are more peaceful and stable human and social conditions". These words come from mgr. Antonio Franco, apostolic nuncio to Jerusalem and Palestine. In an interview with the website terrasanta.net, the nuncio, who in these days is in the Vatican for a meeting to coordinate aids for the Churches in the Middle East, encourages pilgrimages: "their purpose is first and foremost a personal one for those who go on a pilgrimage, but they are also extremely valuable for they make the Catholics of the Holy Land feel that the universal Church is on their side, supports them and invites them to stay there, to be a lively presence where the Church was born". Among the initiatives put in place by the Church to cater to the needs of the local communities, mgr. Franco mentions "the building of houses, the pastoral for the young, the families, the schools, not to mention the charity work: the Palestinians have not had a job or a salary since last February, and we need to help them out financially". Another initiative is the establishment of "a Catholic information centre" for the Holy Land, "because the Catholic agencies have no one to refer to. The assembly of the ordinaries of the Holy Land has re-launched the project by entrusting it to the Custodian of the Holy Land, Pierbattista Pizzaballa. It is an important project for the Church in the Holy Land".” ” ” “
