With landmines cleared, church on Jordan River holds 1st mass in 54 years | The Times of Israel

Amanda Borschel-Dan is the Jewish World and Archaeology editor of The Times of Israel.

QASR Al-YAHUD (QASR Al-YAHUD)-completed a multi-year intensive international mission to clear thousands of deadly landmines. Some Catholic priests held it in the Franciscan Baptistery of St. John the Baptistery on January 10 Lord baptism feast. This is the first time in 54 years

Due to COVID restrictions, only 50 priests, guests, soldiers and journalists were allowed to attend the Sunday Mass led by the father of the Holy Land Custos father Francesco Patton and held at the bank by the Vatican’s ambassador to Israel, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli. Located east of Jericho 10 kilometers (six miles) of the Jordan River.

"For us today, this is the feast of Jesus' baptism. We commemorate the time when John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan River," Parton told the Times of Israel before the ceremony. "But today is a special feast, because after 54 years and three days, we have the opportunity to celebrate our liturgy and sacrament in our venue for the first time. This is a very important day for us. "

Adjacent to the church

Place of baptism. The area is close to the ancient road connecting Jordan, Jericho and Jerusalem, and became a pilgrimage site in the 19th century with the influx of holy land tourism. Eventually, eight monasteries and more churches and chapels were built from all major denominations of Christianity.

The violent attacks of the "Six-Day War" in 1967 and the "Yompi War" in 1973 ended the war. The multi-denominational churches and church compound serve as battlefields. The chapel is surrounded by about 6,500 mines, which have been carefully removed since 2018.

Patton told The Times of Israel that Franciscan monks have been stationed in the Levant since 1217 and have been guardians of the Holy Land since 1333, serving as the Catholic Holy Land in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. guardian. Patton said that this was an order from the custodian of the Holy Land in 1342.

The work of guarding the Church of St. John of the Franciscans was interrupted during the "Six-Day War" in 1967, when their daily log was entered for the penultimate time. The order only regained the site's key in October 2020. Today's event ended with a signing ceremony for the same log.

To celebrate the celebration, under the escort of IDF officers and young soldiers, the men in commoners sang towards the Church of St. John the Baptist and walked towards them. The soldiers and their commanders are regarded as partners in realizing their long-term dreams among the ensuing open-air masses.

The chapel is located in the West Bank region of the Jordan Valley. It is guarded by the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli police under the auspices of the Coordination Unit for Government Activities on the Territory (COGAT) of the Israel Defense Forces. (The reporter was checked before being allowed to enter the site and then rechecked at two roadblocks.)

Accompanied by their armed companions, the monks reached the gate of the compound. Patton grandly opened the door after being draped as a monk by another monk. Although today is dusty and desolate, it is conceivable that a dense garden will soon spring up like mushrooms in the cast iron gate.

The two-story chapel that is still bullet-headed is made of Jerusalem stone and is reminiscent of a ship from the Bauhaus. The open "deck" above it is the main stage for the priest, and believers sit below, two meters (six feet) apart, in two pods. A tireless 1970s pipe organist led a "boy band" of singing monks, playing crowd favorites, including "O Come All Ye Faithful".

In his speech to The Times of Israel, Patton later praised President Leuven Rivlin as a visionary in his general speech. He urged the Israeli authorities to complete the clearance of landmines and restore the worship of Christians. place. IDF cooperates with the British HALO Trust (a mine clearance organization based in the United Kingdom), which operates in 27 countries and regions around the world.

Parton said: "We are especially grateful to [Leuven] President Rivlin-he is the one who pushed for the return of these holy sites to the church and the development of areas for pilgrims."

"Of course, this year, due to the coronavirus, it is impossible to celebrate with local Christians and pilgrims, but you know this is a place with millions of tourists every year, so for us, this is a new season. Start. So we thank the President and everyone who helped us to start the new season. Today, due to the pandemic, we will celebrate the sacrament in a small amount, but for us, the important thing is the beginning." Patton said.

The history of this church can be traced back many centuries, but the present incarnation is less than 100 years old.

Franciscan priest Franciscan priest Ibrahim Fatas said

"The Franciscan monks began to organize a pilgrimage to the Jordan River for pilgrims in 1641, the Jordan River is the holy place where Jesus was baptized.

"From the beginning of 1920, they began to buy land and plan to build a church. In 1933, they built a church, which is now almost on the river, and this church was built in 1935. It was originally their church. The monks were in 1956. The church was renovated, and the restoration of the church started after the area of ​​the cathedral was destroyed after the earthquake hit the area on December 18, 1956." Fatas said. Patton's speech is written in Arabic.

After holding a mass parade and another ceremony from the church to the Waterside National Park, Patton dipped his toes into the river. Although the water level is high, it is muddy and unwelcome, especially for a group of clergy in white clothes.

After another group photo, standing side by side with an IDF officer, a priest shouted in Italian:

! "("Let's eat!")-Enthusiastic support makes this possible.

After the celebration, Colonel Shai Karmona, deputy director of the Civil Affairs Bureau, told the Times of Israel that Sunday's celebration was the result of many years of planning and cooperation. He emphasized that in addition to Israel’s removal of landmines, the churches are also encouraged to renovate and reopen. He said that the Franciscans were the first to pick up gloves.

Carmona said: "For our generation, this awards ceremony makes us very excited." "It is indeed becoming a part of it."

Carmona said that he hopes that by 2021, Israel will complete road improvements. He said: "We can upgrade the entire base, the island of peace, as the president said. Maybe we can connect Israel and Jordan, as well as every pilgrim, every person in the world who wants to come to this river. Christians on both sides of the strait can do this."

Although warning signs for landmines are still hung on barbed wire, Carmona said they will avoid tourists in certain areas and walk on clearly marked roads. "We cleared all the mines," Carmona emphasized.

HALO Trust issued an official letter stating that the entire area is clean.

Carmona said that these mines have spread to more than 25 dunams, and the unpredictable weather has caused them to move from one place to another due to the unpredictable weather, the river banks and the deserts of the Jordan Valley, including flash floods.

But Sunday’s weather, clear skies and high standards of 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius) are incomparable for the "winter" feast day in January.

Carmona smiled and said, "I think God will be here, including today, for 24 hours."

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