The Catholic Church in the Holy Land

One of the most remarkable aspects of Christianity in the Holy Land is that it is expressive of almost every denomination, confession, and tradition if one knows where to look for it.

The Catholic Church, being the single largest Christian denomination as well as the historic seat of the Patriarch (or Bishop) of Rome, also known as the Pope, apostolic successor to Saint Peter, "the Rock" on which Christ said He would build His Church, is well-represented in the Holy Land through three overarching administrative structures.

The Franciscan Custos has been the primary body of the Catholic faith in the Holy Land since Saint Francis of Assisi arrived at the city of Acre/Akka in 1217, at a time when the Latin-rite Catholic Church was in decline with the waning of the Crusades. Slowly but surely, the Franciscans acquired property, rebuilt churches and monasteries, and received religious recognition from the ruling Ottoman Turkish governors of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Today, their custody – hence their name, "custos" includes the Holy Land, Jordan, and Cyprus, and their stewardship on behalf of the Catholic Church includes the Holy Sepulchre and the Church of the Nativity (shared with the Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic Church), the Basilica of the Annunciation, the Via Dolorosa, the Church of all Nations at Gethsemane and Dominus Flevit on the Mount of Olives, the Church of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, and many more places. The Franciscan Custos is appointed directly by the Pope from among the ranks of the Franciscan Brotherhood, formally known as the Order of Friars Minor, and has its administrative and well as spiritual headquarters at the monastery of St. Savior just inside New Gate in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem. The present Franciscan Custos is Francesco Patton, OFM.     

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has a slightly more historic presence in the Holy Land, but not nearly as continuous as that of the Franciscan Custos. Its origins lie in the time of the Crusades when primarily French-speaking Crusaders established the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem in the Holy Land and parts of Jordan, Lebanon, and Cyprus with Jerusalem as its capital. While the Byzantine Greeks, who belonged to the Orthodox Church under the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople, had a Patriarch of Jerusalem and a synod of bishops mostly living in exile at the time of the Crusades, the Crusaders determined to set up a parallel patriarchate and diocesan structure, occupying the primary churches of the Holy Land, appointing bishops and establishing or rebuilding Byzantine Christian monasteries in the Western European, Latin-rite tradition. The first Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem was established in 1099. As the Crusades declined, the Latin Patriarchate became unable to sustain itself, and the entire administrative structure was eventually folded and the church hierarchs became titular sees in Europe. In 1847, the Latin Patriarchate was re-established with the added mission of creating Arab-speaking parishes throughout the Holy Land and Jordan, and overseeing the innumerable religious orders that have communities or at least representative members in the region. It is well-known for operating parochial schools and a seminary, as well as many social welfare programs. Today the Arab-speaking churches are also joined by several vicariates and mission communities of Catholic immigrants and long-term residents in Israel, in particular those from Eastern Europe and Asia. Financial support for the Latin Patriarchate comes from the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, two orders of chivalry whose origins are also from the time of the Crusades, continue to assist with fundraising for the administrative, infrastructure, and charitable needs of the Latin Patriarchate. The position of Patriarch in the Catholic Church is the equivalent of an Archbishop, and is appointed directly by the Pope. The headquarters of the Latin Patriarchate is in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, between Jaffa Gate and New Gate, within the complex of the co-Cathedral of the Most Holy Name of Jesus. The present Patriarch of Jerusalem is Pierbattista Pizzaballa OFM, also the former Franciscan Custos of the Holy Land. The collective Catholic community includes some 33,000 adherents and approximately 1,750 members of religious orders. 

The Apostolic Nuncio to Israel and Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine is the formal title of the Vatican ambassador to the state of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and acts as a direct ambassador of the Pope and the Vatican, directly and indirectly assisting the efforts of the Franciscans. The Apostolic Nuncio has offices in both Tel Aviv in Israel and Jerusalem. The present Papal Nuncio, as he is more commonly called, is Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana.

The Greek Catholic/Melkite Eparchy of Akka is the largest indigenous representation of Catholic believers in the Holy Land. Most of its membership is to be found in the north of Israel, in Nazareth, communities across the Galilee, and the coastal cities of Jaffa, Haifa, and Akka. It follows the Byzantine-rite liturgy and is very similar in appearance to the Orthodox Church, but is under the jurisdiction of Rome. It has two administrative hubs: the Cathedral of St. Elijah in Haifa, and the Patriarchate in Jerusalem. It is technically under the jurisdiction of the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch in Damascus but works very closely with the Latin Patriarchate. The current Archeparch (Archbishop), is Youssef Matta. The community at present has over 65,000 adherents.

The Maronite Archeparchy of Haifa and the Holy Land is the administrative structure for the Lebanese Maronite community, primarily found in Haifa, the northern coast of Israel, and the upper Galilee, with some also in both Jerusalem and Jordan. As with the Melkite Church, the Maronite Archepachy is under the direct jurisdiction of the Maronite Catholic Patriarch in Lebanon, Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi. Approximately 10,000 Maronites reside in the Holy Land and Jordan and are led by the Eparch Moussa El-Hage. The two primary churches of the community are the Cathedral of St. Louis the King in Haifa and the Maronite convent of St. Maroun in the Old City of Jerusalem.

In addition, several Eastern-rite communities under the Catholic Church exist in Jerusalem, such as the Armenian and Syriac Catholic communities, that are represented through the Latin Patriarchate.

Diverse in traditions, language, ethnicity, and nationalities, the Catholic faith in the Holy Land is alive and well, not merely the caretakers of holy places and pilgrims, but part of the living faith.    

Journey to the Holy Land!

Good Shepherd Travel includes Jerusalem, Nazareth and the Galilee, Bethlehem Jericho, the Jordan River, and the Dead Sea as part of our pilgrimages to the Holy Land. Other popular pilgrimage tours to locations such as Rome, Lourdes, Fatima, and Ireland are also available. For more information on how to begin preparing for a pilgrimage in late 2022 and 2023, contact Good Shepherd Travel owner and manager, Tony AbuAita at Tony@goodshepherdtravel.com.