During inclement weather conditiond marked with food shortages, animals including birds migrate en masse from one place to another looking for various parts of the world that would ensure them optimum conditions for life, which include food and security. This applies to human beings who have systematically migrated from one country to another, seeking countries that promise them and their children a bright future amidst the dire conditions they go through.
Over the past decade, Christians of the Middle East have migrated en masse and in some cases opted to go to the farthest spots in the world, in search for peace, tranquility, job opportunities, and better future prospects.
Alas! Their mother countries failed to serve as homes that provide warmth…it failed to welcome them with open arms and to ensure its indigenous people good prospects amidst the tempestuous waves of wars, persecution, unemployment, and poverty, at a time when there no light at the end of the tunnel for a promising future.
Press reports have indicated that Bethlehem's recently appointed Mayor Maher Nicola Canawati met with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday, September 24, unveiling the concerns of his people and a plea for peace and hope in the Holy Land.
He said, “Actually, the first letter that I wrote when I became the mayor of Bethlehem was a letter to the Pope, because we believe that from here we can do many things and we can support our people, and the most important thing is to give them hope.”
Noting that emigration continues to drain Bethlehem and other Holy Land cities, he said, “People have been leaving Bethlehem, leaving Palestine because of what's happening and what's going on. I had a good time explaining to the Pope how important it is to intervene in what's happening in Palestine, in Gaza, in Bethlehem, and to preserve the living stones of the Holy Land, because the Holy Land without the living stones is just a mere museum.”
Stating that in the past year alone, over 1,000 Christians got approval for their immigration to Canada, the United States and other countries, he said, "Bethlehem’s economy, dependent on pilgrimage and hospitality, has been devastated since the outbreak of war on 7 October 2023. Now, after 7 October, we have a drop, a deep drop down to zero per cent. All of the hotels, that is 84 hotels, are totally closed. The souvenir shops, the workshops that produce the beautiful olive woodwork, the mother of pearl and the jewelry that we produce in Bethlehem, are totally closed."
Referring to soaring unemployment, he says: “The unemployment rate jumped from 14 per cent to 65 per cent. Maher Canawati appealed for support to local organizations, "which is the important thing that we're trying to do right now."
Actually, the gloomy situation unveiled by the mayor of Bethlehem necessitates undertaking exigent and urgent measures that help restore dignity and confidence in a better future for the suffering Bethlehemite Christians. Every effort should be undertaken expeditiously to terminate the Christian hemorrhage from the Middle East, and particularly in Bethlehem, the nativity of Lord Jesus Christ.
It is of prime importance to set off alarm bells regarding the situation of the Christians in Bethlehem, as an overview of their situation indicates that the deterioration is rapid due to the escalation in the systematic worsening of the situation.
The question that arises, “What do we gain if Christians leave Bethlehem? It would just be a site to visit and the spirit would be lost.” Under such a situation, immediate action is needed to stop the hemorrhage of Christians from the Holy Land, particularly from Bethlehem, by creating atmospheres conducive for a better future.
It is important in this regard to refer to a message expressing perspicacity, mercy, and nobility that has been issued by His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattiasta Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, which states a decision to forgive all debts of all the families to the schools of the Latin Patriarchate for the years prior to the Jubilee, that is, up to and excluding the 2024-2025 school year. This sagacious measure has been timely as it takes place at an optimum time, when the Middle East region is suffering from a steady state of war, instability, and spiking expenses of living associated with a state of rampant unemployability or rather low salaries.
Furthermore, in an earlier statement by Cardinal Sako, he refers to the Christians of the East as "a treasure that needs to be preserved." Actually this is a valid argument because the Middle East Christians have all the time been serving as a key factor of stability, enlightenment where they live, while playing major roles in the progress of their societies in various fields. Among the most prominent fields include education, culture and arts, social affairs, politics, economics, and humanitarian services.
The Christians of the Middle East, including Bethlehem, have been all the time a bright star in the field love and care for others in various walks of life including education, health services, as well as a source of stability and progress in the countries they live.
This is a prayer dedicated to the suffering people in Bethlehem:
"O God, you who are the source of all peace, we lift our hearts to you in prayer for the people of Bethlehem and the entire Holy Land. We pray for those living in poverty, need, desperation, and hopelessness. We pray for the children of Bethlehem, for all children in the Holy Land, that they may know a future free from violence and the trauma of war. May the city of Bethlehem become a beacon of hope and a testament to your loving presence on Earth." Amen
