By Andrea Gagliarducci Jerusalem, Mar 20, 2020 / 11:30 am (CNA).- As Easter is approaching, the Holy Land is enduring tough times: the sacred sites are shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic, and pilgrimages have come to an end. These events “meaningfully impact our religious communities, especially for the …

The Holy Land, often referred to as the fifth Gospel, offers the Catholic pilgrim an unparalleled spiritual opportunity. Spend five nights in Jerusalem visiting Bethlehem, the Baptismal site at the Jordan River, the Judean hills of the Visitation, and trace Jesus’ steps through all the events of the Holy Week. …

By Dale Gavlak Catholic News Service JERUSALEM — A Palestinian Catholic tour guide whose family has lived in Jerusalem for generations and whose spiritual heritage stretches as far back as the first century church laughed as he recounted the story. “An Israeli official once asked me if I was a …