Bethlehem's silent Christmas: A cry for peace in the Holy Land

Report by Petra Abou Haidar, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

In Bethlehem, the city where the story of Christ began, a somber quiet replaces the usual festive cheer for the second consecutive year. 

Known as the birthplace of Jesus Christ and home to the historic Church of the Nativity—one of the world's oldest churches built atop the grotto where Christ was born—the city finds itself subdued under the shadow of Israel's ongoing war on Gaza.  

As with the previous year, traditional celebrations have been replaced by solemn religious rituals this Christmas. The streets lack the usual vibrant lights and joyful decorations, while festive music is notably absent. 

Instead, hundreds of faithful gather at midnight in the Church of the Nativity for a special Christmas Mass led by Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. Traveling from Jerusalem to join the faithful in Bethlehem, Pizzaballa expressed hope that this year's Christmas might mark the end of decades of suffering in Palestine.  

Patriarch Pizzaballa delivered a heartfelt message during the Mass:  "Everyone speaks of the Holy Land as a place of war, hatred, and division. But as Christians celebrating Christmas here in Bethlehem and Jerusalem, we want to tell the world that brotherhood among humans is possible. The purpose of Christmas is to work for unity among people because, on this day, we celebrate God being with us."  

As prayers echo through the ancient church, the faithful cling to the hope that this Christmas will turn the page on the conflict in Palestine and usher in a new chapter filled with hope and renewal for a land and its people yearning for peace.