3 replies to this topic

[Chachi]

If an American Roman Catholic of non-Arabic origin wanted to move or visit Israel would he be able to goto Church on Sundays in a non-Arabic church.  I know there are Israeli Arabs that are Eastern Catholics, but I would feel more comfortable in a more international Catholic Church.  There must be a Catholic church that's available for foreign embassy workers and foreign businessman to go to for Mass on Sunday.

[BlueJon]

Well, there certainly are places for non arab catholics to pray in Israel. However, the Roman Catholic religion is not an "officialy recognized" religion in Israel because there never was a strong Roman Catholic community in Israel since the crusades. However, there is a Latin Catholic church which I believe is non arab, and it is officialy recognized.

From JewishVirtualLibrary.org :

"Recognized" Communities
Certain Christian denominations have the status of being a 'recognized' religious community. For historical reasons dating from Ottoman times, the ecclesiastical courts of such communities are granted jurisdiction in matters of personal status, such as marriage and divorce.

Currently, the "recognized" Christian communities are the Greek Orthodox, the (Melkite) Greek Catholic, the Latin, the Armenian Orthodox, the Syrian Catholic, the Chaldean Catholic, the Maronite, the Syrian Orthodox, the Armenian Catholic, and ­ since 1970 ­ the (Anglican) Evangelical Episcopal.


The Latin and Uniate Churches
Whatever the relations between Rome and Constantinople, there was no attempt to establish a Western Church in the Holy Land independent of the Orthodox Patriarchate until the Crusader period, during which a Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem was in existence from 1099 till 1291. The office was again constituted in 1847. Until then, responsibility for the local church rested with the Franciscan Order, which served as Custodian of Latin holy places since the 14th century.

Today the Latin Church of Jerusalem is headed by a patriarch, assisted by three vicars (resident in Nazareth, Amman and Cyprus). The community in Israel numbers about 20,000 (with another 10,000 in the West Bank and Gaza).

Visit this link for more information about the Christian community in Israel:
Christian Communities of Israel

Edited by BlueJon, 12 March 2005 - 09:48 PM.

[nwuguy23]

Chachi, on Mar 8 2005, 08:16 PM, said:

If an American Roman Catholic of non-Arabic origin wanted to move or visit Israel would he be able to goto Church on Sundays in a non-Arabic church.  I know there are Israeli Arabs that are Eastern Catholics, but I would feel more comfortable in a more international Catholic Church.  There must be a Catholic church that's available for foreign embassy workers and foreign businessman to go to for Mass on Sunday.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As an Arab Catholic, I have to tell you that your post is insulting.  Would you go to Ireland and request an American only Church?  The Catholic Church in Israel is by and large Arab.  The Church in Ireland is Irish.  You would defer the opportunity to worship with one of the oldest Christian communities on Earth, and opt instead for an "international setting" in Ireland or Italy?  The Catholic Church in the holy land is quickly becoming an "international church" as the indigenous Christians are evaporating in numbers (standing before 1948 at 25% and now at 2%), soon it will be an extinct Church with Churchest standing only as museums of its past.  You can gather around with all the other international pilgrims, ignore the Latin Rite or even Eastern Rite counterparts you have in the Holy Land, and rest assured that you have done your part to commodify the Church in the Holy Land.  I implore you, as a Catholic and as a Christian, to do your part to help this community.  A good start would be to drop by and worship.  Many of these Arab Churches hold Masses in Latin or English, the Latin Patriarch (your Bishop) of Jerusalem is Michel Sabbah, a Palestinian.

[Chachi]

nwuguy23, on Mar 18 2005, 11:27 AM, said:

As an Arab Catholic, I have to tell you that your post is insulting.  Would you go to Ireland and request an American only Church?  The Catholic Church in Israel is by and large Arab.  The Church in Ireland is Irish.  You would defer the opportunity to worship with one of the oldest Christian communities on Earth, and opt instead for an "international setting" in Ireland or Italy?  The Catholic Church in the holy land is quickly becoming an "international church" as the indigenous Christians are evaporating in numbers (standing before 1948 at 25% and now at 2%), soon it will be an extinct Church with Churchest standing only as museums of its past.  You can gather around with all the other international pilgrims, ignore the Latin Rite or even Eastern Rite counterparts you have in the Holy Land, and rest assured that you have done your part to commodify the Church in the Holy Land.  I implore you, as a Catholic and as a Christian, to do your part to help this community.  A good start would be to drop by and worship.  Many of these Arab Churches hold Masses in Latin or English, the Latin Patriarch (your Bishop) of Jerusalem is Michel Sabbah, a Palestinian.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I didn't mean to be insulting, especially on this Easter Sunday.  When I stated that I would rather go to an international Catholic Church, I was hoping that this Mass would be in English.  If there was no Mass in English, then I would be honored to receive Christ's holy body and blood in a Mass performed in Arabic.  I just wouldn't be able to understand the homily and the bible readings.  But Christ is just as present in an Arabic Catholic Church as he is in an English speaking Catholic Church.