From the desk of the Tar Heel disciple:
May 14, 2026 (#98)
Christians in the Holy Land
Despite so much attention by news and social media on the Middle East, few Americans appear to know much about or even be aware of the indigenous Christian communities that live there. And even fewer are familiar with the challenges to their existence that currently exist. While exact statistics are difficult to come by, it is commonly accepted that the percentage of native Christians in the Holy Land has been greatly diminished over the last century. In the waning years of the Ottoman Empire, perhaps 20-25% of the entire population was Christian. In this generation, it is possible that that percentage has been reduced to 1 or 2%. Wars, persecution, and poverty, have been the primary drivers of this population decline. The emigration of Christians from the Middle East has been a constant demographic feature during the last 100 years or more.
The number of Christians in Israel and the Palestinian territories is reported to be about 200,000, that is, about 1½% of the population. The Catholic presence in this region is amplified by the work of numerous international religious communities and ecclesiastical charities, especially in the areas of education and social services. Moreover, the Franciscans, who have maintained a presence at the major Catholic shrines and religious sites there since the 13th century, are universally recognized and highly visible throughout the region. The annual Good Friday collection, taken up in Catholic churches throughout the world helps to support that presence. The work of the Latin Patriarchate, which coordinates the activities of the Roman Catholic diocese that serves Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, and Cyprus, is supported by the financial contributions of the members of the Equestrian Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre and other organizations.
Catholics who wish to support beleaguered Christians in the Holy Land can do so in a number of significant ways. First, they can and should pray for our co-religionists currently undergoing various stresses and persecutions. Secondly, as the circumstances allow, those who make pilgrimages to the Holy Land can and should choose to be guided there by Christian Palestinians, visit local parishes, and even stay at facilities maintained by our brothers and sisters in Christ. Thirdly, when the opportunity arises at a local parish or Catholic stores, Christians who are selling olive wood carvings and other religious artifacts, manufactured in the Holy Land and sold for the support of Christian families there, should be warmly greeted, encouraged in their efforts, and supported with our purchases. Finally, becoming aware of and informing ourselves about these realities and sharing this information with others will, perhaps, change some minds and hearts. More to come…
