Israel, News, Religion

Relic believed to come from Christ’s manger arrives in Bethlehem

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A tiny wooden relic which some believe to come from Christ’s manger has arrived in Bethlehem ahead of Christmas.

The relic was first sent to the Vatican 1,400 years ago as a gift to the Pope.

It is now sheathed in an ornate case and was greeted by crowds in the West Bank ahead of Advent, which will begin on Sunday 1 December and end on Christmas Eve.

Christians celebrate Jesus manger's relic return to Bethlehem
 The chief custodian for the Holy Land, Francesco Patton holds the Relic of the Holy Crib of the Child Jesus, a gift from Pope Francis to the Custody of the Holy Land, during a procession to the church of St Saviour, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, 30 November 2019. The relic, a tiny piece of wood believed by Christians to have formed part of Jesus’ manger, was donated by St. Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem to Pope Theodore I (in 642-649 CE). EPA-EFE/ABED AL HASHLAMOUN

A religious delegation brought the relic to the Franciscan Church of St Catherine, next to the Church of the Nativity – a holy site for Christians in the West Bank where tradition says Jesus was born.

See also: Photo Story: Relic of the Holy Crib of the Child Jesus in Jerusalem

 

 

Via Sky News

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