For Palestinian Christians, return of Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem mark opportunity to revive hope

For Palestinian Christians, return of Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem mark opportunity to revive hope Bethlehem's Christmas celebrations have restarted - for some they represent hope but for others they are painful. Image:Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa kisses babies in the crowd Image:The nativity scene in Bethlehem Image:Crowds gather to celebrate Christmas in Manger Square Image:Children gather in Bethlehem Image:A new settler outpost in Shepherds' Fields Image:Monica Awad called the celebrations a 'moment to pray for peace' Thursday 25 December 2025 00:18, UK The thousands-year-old Christmas procession from Jerusalem to Bethlehem is finally being celebrated with festive fanfare after a two-year pause to mourn the devastating war in Gaza. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, was flanked by adoring crowds as he marched down the ancient, narrow cobblestoned roads to Manger Square in front of the Church of the Nativity and blessed the babies of Bethlehem along the way. After arriving, the cardinal stepped up on stage and told the full square of tourists and Palestinians from across the occupied West Bank : "You are the light, we are the light. The light of Bethlehem is the light of the world." At the base of the Christmas tree towering over Manger Square for the first time since 2022, a nativity display with baby Jesus sitting above a decorated billboard emblazoned with the text: "From here, the light of peace began." Before the procession set off for Bethlehem, at the Mar Elias Monastery in East Jerusalem, the cardinal told me: "This is a sign that we want to turn the page to look forward. "The problems on the ground remain there but we need to react and respond to this situation and to look forward in order to find perspective and solutions for the terrible situation there." He has just returned from celebrating Christmas in the Holy Family Parish in Gaza , where 400 people are still being sheltered. The Gaza Health Ministry reports that at least 400 people have been killed and over 1,000 injured since the start of the ceasefire on 10 October. "It was sad to see the disaster in which the population are living in," said the cardinal. "I was very struck by the resilience and their desire of life. They are very strong and determined to rebuild everything." Here in the West Bank, violence is increasing as illegal Israeli settlements expand. On Sunday, Israel 's far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the approval of 19 more settlements - a move condemned by a group of 12 countries including Britain, Canada and Germany on Wednesday. As we drive, we see Israeli flags mark a new settlement on the hilltop shepherd fields of Bethlehem's Ush al Ghrab, where Jesus's birth was announced in the Bible. According to the United Nations Office for Co-ordination in Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), 238 Palestinians, including 56 children were killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank in 2025. In Bethlehem's Tuqu' village, a mother grieves her 16-year-old son...

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