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Bethlehem priest prays for peace

Priest Amjad Sabbara of the Church of the Nativity recalls Israeli troops' siege of the Bethlehem church

By JESSICA ALLEN

Date published: 6/6/2003

The Rev. Amjad Sabbara of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem says he hopes President Bush succeeds in his effort to bring peace to the Middle East.

"We are hoping for peace because we are tired," Sabbara told about 60 people gathered last night at St. Mary Catholic Church. "We want to live normal lives."

Sabbara, Bethlehem's parish priest, visited Fredericksburg last night as part of his two-week tour of U.S. churches. He will go to Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey next week.

The tour is designed to draw attention to the decline of Christians in the Holy Land due to political and economic hardships.

Sabbara's speech attracted leaders of various denominations. Those attending last night included the Revs. Joseph Henderson of the Tower of Deliverance in Fredericksburg, Al Moreau of Summit Presbyterian in Stafford County and Charles Sydnor, former rector of St. George's Episcopal in the city.

Sabbara's trip is sponsored by the Holy Land Christians Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of Christians in the Holy Land. The Rev. Donald Rooney, head priest at St. Mary, is one of the founders of the society.

The Church of Nativity is considered the site of Jesus' birth and draws thousands of pilgrims each year. It is controlled jointly by three Christian denominations--the Armenian, Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches.

The church has been the site of conflict for centuries. It was fought over by Christians and Muslims during the Crusades, and more recently was the site of a five-week siege after 124 Palestinians took refuge there in an attempt to escape an Israeli crackdown on suspected terrorists.

Sabbara, a Franciscan, and other priests stayed to provide spiritual counseling to the Palestinians and protect the church during the standoff, which ended with the Palestinians being flown to Cyprus. He has since held several meetings with Muslim leaders to work toward peace.

Sabbara was in Fredericksburg, however, to discuss another kind of exodus. Nearly 500 Christian families have left Bethlehem in the past two years, he said.

Christians made up 30 percent of the Palestinian population 20 years ago; now they represent less than 1.8 percent, he said.

"I always tell them the example when the disciples wake Jesus because of the storm and he stops it," he said. "We have to wake him with our prayers, try to do our best despite all the challenges."

One of the many challenges in his 5,000-strong parish is unemployment, which is at 80 percent in the region. Many have lost jobs because curfews keep them in their homes for days or checkpoints prevent them from getting to work.

Sabbara and other friars are working on several responses, including a food voucher program. He hopes his trip will build a bond between Christians in America and the Holy Land.

"They must know they aren't abandoned by everyone," he said.

Staff librarian Andi Markley and staff writer Rick Mercier contributed to this story. Information from CNN and BBC Web sites also was used in this report.

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Date published: 6/6/2003