Franciscan says Catholic schools in Holy Land must be supported

Published: 2008-04-14

LONDON (CNS) -- Christianity could vanish from Israel and the Palestinian territories within two generations unless more is done to support Catholic schools, said the head of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land. Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, whose order maintains most of the Christian biblical sites in the Holy Land, said the religious identity of Christians had grown extremely fragile as more of them migrated abroad for a better life. He told an April 11 press conference in London that the main challenge for the Christians, who form 1 percent of the population of Israel and the Palestinian territories, was how to remain united. Father Pizzaballa was in London to address the Terra Sancta Education Trust, a U.K.-based charity for the advancement of education and relief of the poverty of Holy Land Christian families. He urged British Catholics to support Holy Land Christians through pilgrimages and initiatives such as the twinning of schools in the U.K. and in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

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