The bells of the Co-cathedral in the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre tolled for the solemn entrance of the new Nuncio to the Holy Land. The news was released by the Holy See Press Office on June 3: the Pope has appointed Monsignor Adolfo Tito Yllana as the new Apostolic Nuncio to Israel and Cyprus and Apostolic Delegate for Jerusalem and Palestine. Mgr. Adolfo Tito Yllana is a Filipino national and titular archbishop of Montecorvino, and has been until now apostolic nuncio to Australia. On the morning of September 30, the new nuncio was received by the Patriarch of the Latins of Jerusalem, Bishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, in the Latin Patriarchate, together with the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land. Then, with Br. Dobromir Jasztal, vicar of the Custody, the friars and the religious and civil authorities, they walked in procession through the streets of the old city to the Holy Sepulchre. There, representatives of the three churches responsible for the Basilica were waiting for him: the Franciscan friars, the Greek Orthodox Church and the Armenian Church. In front of the Unification Stone, Brother Francesco Patton, Custos of the Holy Land, welcomed Bishop Adolfo Yllana. “Welcome to the heart of the Holy Land, welcome to Jerusalem, the Holy City loved by all the descendants of Abraham: Jews, Christians and Muslims. Welcome to the heart of the Holy Places, this basilica which enshrines the memory of the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. May the Lord fill you with every grace and blessing in your ministry and grant you His peace!", the Custos of the Holy Land said. In front of the wayside shrine, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa greeted the new nuncio, saying: Welcome to Jerusalem and welcome here, to the Holy Sepulchre, the heart of the Mother Church of Jerusalem. Together with me, there are all the bishops of the Catholic Church of the Holy Land: Melkites, Maronites, Syriac Catholics, Chaldeans, Armenian Catholics, and Latins who are an expression of the multiform tradition of the Church of the Holy Land. You will have the opportunity to experience that we are a Church in which there is no lack of challenges, but you will also be able to see its vitality and beauty, through the presence of so many initiatives and activities. The new Nuncio, for his part, expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome. He extended a special greeting to the Muslims and Jews of the Holy Land. "We all strive in the firm hope that Jerusalem will truly become a city of peace, where God can truly dwell in the midst of all His people." And after the blessing with the plenary indulgence, everyone returned to the Latin Patriarchate for a moment of sharing. Bishop Yllana highlighted his first experience with representatives of the Christian Communities of the Holy Land. HE Mgr ADOLFO TITO YllANA Apostolic Nuncio for Israel and Apostolic Delegate for Jerusalem and Palestine "Yes, I was moved. You can't help but be moved when you enter this place. And that confirmed for me what I have always thought: that we are like the servant who offered himself to the point of death, and that is my vocation! And as I said in my speech, the grain that has been planted begins to bear fruit because if we only sow and do nothing to make it grow then we cannot reap. And we have to show these fruits. I believe that my work is this, here together with them. May the Sepulchre not just be an empty tomb, but one where life springs forth, the resurrection that is also for us. As Nuncio, and as Pope Francis always tells us, if we forget our origin which is Christ, we are lost! May God truly dwell among us." Read More