The visit of the Minister General and the Vicar to the Holy Land

From the 15th to 20th April 2024, the Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor, Br Massimo Fusarelli, and the Vicar General, Br Ignacio Ceja Jiménez, are visiting the Custody of the Holy Land. “In this moment of particular tension we arrive as pilgrims in the Holy Land to visit the friars and confirm them in their vocation of guarding the Holy Places with prayer and presence,” said the Minister upon his arrival.

On the 16th April after visiting the fraternities of Magdala, Tabga and Capernaum, on the Lake of Galilee, Brother Massimo and Brother Ignacio met all the friars of the region on Mount Tabor: a hymn to the light of God that overcomes the darkness of evil is the message that comes from this place where, according to tradition, Jesus experienced the Transfiguration. The Minister General recalled the many fraternities of the Order "present in the wounded places of today's humanity", inviting the friars of the Custody to "remain in this land that bears so many stigmas to be responded to by our charism".

Subsequently, Br Massimo presided at the Mass in the Basilica of the Transfiguration. In his homily he underlined the tension between light and darkness, experienced by Francis of Assisi himself, who found his solution in the Risen Christ: "O high and glorious God, illuminate the darkness of my heart" was the prayer of Saint Francis before the crucifix at San Damiano.

After the Mass, in the presence of the Custos of the Holy Land, Br Francesco Patton, the “LuxTenebra” exhibition was inaugurated for the centenary of the dedication of the Basilica of the Transfiguration. Br Alessandro Coniglio, President of the scientific committee for the centenary celebrations, together with the architect Mr. Vincenzo Zuppardo, curator of the exhibition, illustrated the project.

On the 17th April the Minister and the Vicar moved to Judea and arrived in Jerusalem, where they visited the fraternities of the Holy Sepulcher and the Flagellation.

At the Holy Sepulcher Br Massimo presided over the morning Mass; afterwards, he went to the friray of the Flagellation to visit the Terra Sancta Museum, home of the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, where he called to mind its 100th anniversary. 

The Museum today preserves and enhances a rare archaeological and artistic heritage of Christianity: a treasure guarded by the Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land for more than 800 years. At the end of the visit, which also covered the extraordinary archaeological section of the museum, Mass was celebrated in the Church of the Flagellation. Br Rosario Pierri, Dean of the SBF, welcomed the Minister with these words: “In your person we see not only the successor of Saint Francis,we also feel the closeness and solidarity of our beloved Order. With you today we commemorate the centenary of the foundation which makes us reflect on our history and our identity: the friars, since they landed here in the Holy Land, have never stopped searching for evangelical memories to acquire and preserve" .

“Thank you for your mission,” said Br Massimo at the end of his homily. “On behalf of the Order I thank the Custody for all the support it has always given to the Studium Biblicum, which is the living custodianship of the Holy Places. I extend all my support for your presence in these places, to you who are here and continue to remain alongside the peoples who have always inhabited this land, to indicate where God has placed His tent amongst humanity. We ask the Lord that there is always a presence that can perpetrate this mission and that adheres to this vocation, which is the vocation of the Friars Minor: to welcome the Word of the Gospel, live it, give it flesh with our lives and make it loved".

The visit will continue until Saturday the 20th April 2024

With the contribution of www.custodia.org