Holy Land empty of pilgrims but full of hope and prayer

By Sr. Nina Benedikta Krapić, VMZ

Father Željko Barbarić is a Franciscan friar from Bosnia and Herzegovina, currently serving in Jerusalem. He is bursar at the Terra Sancta College monastery and serves at the Monastery of Saint Saviour as a spiritual director.

As the Israel-Hamas war rages on, Fr. Željko has been an eyewitness to the harsh realities of conflict and the far-reaching repercussions felt by the local population in Jerusalem.

Speaking to Vatican News, he sheds light on the impact of the conflict on the sacred sites of the Holy Land, the uncertainty that prevails, and the fear gripping the country.

Despite the absence of gunfire on the streets of Jerusalem, the reality of war is present all over the city. Messages like the one recently received by Fr. Željko, cautioning him against entering the Old City due to potential riots, serve as stark reminders of this reality.

"In Jerusalem, we live quite peacefully and almost, as hard as it is to say, normally. Around a hundred kilometres away, in the Gaza Strip, war is raging. And probably only those who are there know how intense the war is and what is happening on the ground," says Fr. Željko.

But still, people in Jerusalem are deeply, personally involved with happenings in Gaza. Many Israeli Jews have someone who is currently on the front line or deployed to some other critical area. Others know someone who was killed, kidnapped or injured on 7 October.

"A lot of Israelis have been drafted into the army, there are a lot of weapons on the street," says Fr. Željko and continues, "feelings of fear and uncertainty are mixed."

The sounds contribute to the atmosphere of uncertainty and fear. The sound of military jets constantly flying towards Gaza and back was the only sound that could be heard in Jerusalem for weeks, he says. "That sound would occasionally be interrupted by sirens and the sound of destroyed rockets above the city itself or somewhere nearby," Fr. Željko adds.

He underscores the significant human cost of the conflict, stating that "a lot of blood was spilled, and the hostage crisis is still ongoing."

In the face of these challenges, he says, daily life in Jerusalem revolves around staying informed about the war and engaging in constant prayer, "prayer for the peace of Jerusalem."

Gaza news reaching Jerusalem

Some of the information that the friars receive comes from the Missionaries of Charity sisters who are serving in Gaza. They report to their sisters in Jerusalem about the horrors of war that they are faced with every day.

In this challenging situation, Fr. Željko is spending time listening to heart-wrenching stories from those most affected by war.

"I’ve listened to a story about a woman from the West Bank who is trying to find out about her son, who was taken by Israeli soldiers. She has had no information on him for months now. Neither where he is, nor whether he is alive or not. A school teacher said that a child who was abducted on 7 October had returned to classes after a month and a half," Fr. Željko shares.

He adds that he was recently speaking to a Jewish friend about her brother, who is an Israeli soldier deployed in the West Bank, and with friends whose families were attacked on a kibbutz on 7 October.

The friars dedicate their Fridays to walking the streets of Jerusalem, praying the Stations of the Cross for those in pain.

"I pray for all of them, without distinction," says Fr. Željko, adding "and I pray that dialogue will be possible again, that a way for coexistence will be found again."  

Fr. Željko urges peace and dialogue. “I ask that fanatics and extremists not have the main word in the negotiations,” he says, “because such negotiations are doomed to fail."

Uncertainty in the Holy Land

Jerusalem's Old City and Bethlehem's economy, heavily reliant on pilgrims and tourism, face significant challenges due to the war. The prior impact of the pandemic, together with the war has led to the closure of hotels and disrupted daily life.

Some of the hotels that recently housed pilgrims have been turned into temporary accommodation for people who have been evacuated from the areas close to the Gaza Strip and the border with Lebanon. Also, travel restrictions between the West Bank and Israel further complicate matters for workers living and working on either side.

Lone pilgrim groups are a rare sight in the Holy Land. "This situation is very similar to the time of the pandemic when everything was closed. The sanctuaries are empty," says Fr. Željko.

The streets convey an overwhelming sense of uncertainty, prompting numerous questions about the war and its end.

"When and how will the war end? What will it be like after the war? Will there be peace again and what kind of peace will it be? Will the Jewish-Arab conflict ever end? What will coexistence look like after this war?" are just some of the questions that arise, says Fr. Željko.

Despite these challenges, the Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land remain present. “We are still here, although there are no pilgrims. We share the good and the bad with the people who live in these areas. We pray for peace and guard the sanctuaries marked by the life, death and resurrection of our Lord," says Fr. Željko.

The Custody of the Holy Land has also been repeatedly affected by war. In addition to the fact that there are no pilgrims and therefore no groups that come to the pilgrimage sites, it is also more difficult to settle the obligations towards the workers who are employed by the houses and institutions of the Custody, which employs over a thousand workers in monasteries, guest houses, schools, and offices.

Jerusalem

Bia bian tiktei

Fr. Željko notes that, since the war disaster began, the phrase in Greek, which he learned in high school, “Bia bian tiktei”, which in translation means: violence creates violence, keeps coming back to his mind. "For the umpteenth time throughout history, especially in this area soaked so many times with the blood of countless generations, we are again watching the same story unfold and become complicated. Violence creates violence."

Loss of interest in the Israel-Hamas conflict

Fr. Željko expresses concern about the world's waning interest in the ongoing conflict, fearing that people are becoming desensitized to the news.

"The scariest thing of all is that we get used to news and images that show the horrors of war. We just scroll, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to attract new readers with headlines and articles. So, the headlines are getting more and more bizarre, scarier, weirder and bloodier," he notices.

Empty Shrines

In this time of war, the significance of the Holy Land's shrines takes on higher importance. Fr. Željko and the friars are present in Bethlehem, Nazareth, the Mount of Olives, and Calvary, guarding the sacred places and now offering prayers for the afflicted and seeking solace there.

"We go to Bethlehem, where God became one of us. He is a God who understands our troubles, our nakedness, our poverty, our uncertainty."

The Franciscans also serve in Nazareth, where Jesus grew up. "We present to Him all those nameless people and persons who have had their humanity and uniqueness taken away and their right to existence denied."

Also, they offer prayers on the Mount of Olives, in the sanctuary of Agony. "We offer the agony of this country and the people who live in it. So much suffering, crying, death..."

On Calvary, they offer to the Lord the wounds of all those involved in this conflict, all the innocent victims. "We pray that despair and anger, darkness and hatred will not be the key and last words that this world has to offer and say to its neighbour, to its brother."

The Tomb of Jesus, now without the packed, pushing crowds and unusually quiet, serves as a symbol of hope in these challenging times.

"The grave is empty. Cold. A little bit dark. But that stone... it tells a story of hope. That evil, death, force and hatred do not have the final word. And that story provides a bit of relief in this difficult time. Life was born from the Grave, the day after."

Reflecting on War's Impact

Drawing from personal experience of war in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Fr. Željko says that what hurts him the most is the silence, powerlessness and reluctance to stop the wars of those in power to do so.

"When everything is over, one realizes how many victims could have been avoided." He emphasizes the irreplaceable loss of lives and says that “houses may be built again, but lost lives, so many lost lives, who will compensate and who will recover from that and how?"

In conclusion, Fr. Željko calls for prayers, because, he says, we, as humans, are not good to each other and we need help. "We need a hand that lifts us up," he stresses and calls for God’s intervention.

“I am praying in this time of Advent - come among us. Maranatha!”