TheCatholic Church in Israel (Hebrew:הכנסייה הקתולית;Arabic:الكنيسة الكاثوليكية في إسرائيل;Latin:Catholicae Ecclesiae in Israel) is part of the worldwideCatholic Church, infull communion with theHoly See inRome.
A number of institutions and organizations serve the Catholic community. The Melkite Church serves the largest number of Catholics. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem is the main Roman Catholic institution in Israel, and it is responsible for thepastoral care of Roman Catholics inIsrael,Palestine, andJordan. The patriarchate has a number of parishes, schools, and hospitals in the region, and it also operates theTerra Sancta Museum in Jerusalem, which showcases the history and culture of theHoly Land.
The Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land is a Catholic religious order that is responsible for the care of the holy shrines in the Holy Land, such as theChurch of the Holy Sepulchre inJerusalem and theChurch of the Nativity inBethlehem. The Salesian Mission is another Catholic religious order that operates in Israel, particularly in the area of education and youth ministry.
In addition to these institutions, there are a number of Catholic organizations and charities that operate in Israel, such as theCatholic Near East Welfare Association, which provides humanitarian assistance to Christians and other minority communities in the Middle East, and theCatholic Relief Services, which works on issues such as poverty, education and health.
At the start of the 21st century there were approximately 200,000 Christians inIsrael[1] and thePalestinian territories,[2] representing about 1.5% of the total population. The largest Catholic Churches included 64,400Greek Melkite Catholics, 32,200Latin Catholics, and 11,270Maronite Catholics.[3][4] By 2020, Catholics made up 1.27% of the population,[5] although some estimates were more than twice that.[6]
Jurisdictions of seven of the Catholic Churches overlap in Israel: theArmenian,Chaldean, Greek Melkite, Latin (Roman), Maronite, andSyriac. TheCoptic Catholic patriarchate also has representation in Israel and the Palestinian territories, as does the FranciscanCustody of the Holy Land, theTerritorial Prelature of the Notre Dame Center of Jerusalem, and thePersonal prelature ofOpus Dei, with jurisdictional presence. The Holy See is represented by theApostolic Nuncio to Israel and theApostolic Delegate in Jerusalem for Palestine.[7][8]
About 85% of the Catholics in Israel and the Palestinian territories are Arabic-speaking. In addition to a handful of chaplaincies for expatriate clergy, pilgrims, and workers, there is also avicariate within theLatin Patriarchate ministering toHebrew Catholics, i.e., converts to Catholicism of Jewish descent, or Hebrew-speaking Catholics born to immigrant workers, often from the Philippines.[9][failed verification]
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There are currently 103 Catholic parishes in Israel:
There are additionally 8 language chaplaincies and 7 ethnic pastoral centers within the Latin Patriarchate:
The Holy See is currently represented by anApostolic Nuncio to Israel and anApostolic Delegate in Jerusalem and Palestine. Since 1994, the same person serves in both offices, and also serves as Nuncio to Cyprus. Since 3 June 2021,Adolfo Tito Yllana has served in both offices.[15]
In June 1762, a diplomatic relationship was established in Ottoman Syria, which also included the region of Palestine.[16]
In March 1929, the diplomatic brief for British Palestine was attached to the Delegate to Cairo.[citation needed]
On 11 February 1948, with thePapal briefSupreme Pastoris,Pope Pius XII erected the Apostolic Delegation in Jerusalem and Palestine,Transjordan and Cyprus.[17]
On 30 December 1993, the Holy See and the State of Israel signed theFundamental Agreement Between the Holy See and the State of Israel, the first agreement between the two States, and they formally established diplomatic relations in March 1994. The Holy See established theApostolic Nuncio to Israel.[18]
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The Assembly of the Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land was established in 1992 at the initiative of the Apostolic Delegate in Jerusalem to foster unity within the Catholic Churches of the Holy Land.
The regional episcopal conference for the Latin bishops is theConference of the Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions (CELRA), established in 1967.
TheMiddle East Council of Churches represents 14 million Christians in the Middle East, covering 14 countries and including representatives from 27 churches or jurisdictions (3 Oriental Orthodox, 4 Eastern Orthodox, 7 Catholic, and 13 Protestant/Evangelical).
The Heads of Churches in Jerusalem[19] is a gathering of the patriarchs and other ordinaries of 13 of the local Christian churches in Jerusalem, including Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Catholic, Latin Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches.
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In 2020, there were 1,310 members of religious orders and institutes of consecrated life in Israel and the Palestinian territories.[6]
The oldest of these is the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, established as a province in 1217.
They are represented by the Committee of the Religious Men of the Holy Land[20] and the Union of Religious Superiors of Women in the Holy Land.[21]
There are 440 male religious,[6] representing the following congregations:
There are 870 female religious,[6] from the following congregations:
There are 145 members of other institutes of consecrated life:
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There are:
There are, additionally, 71 primary and secondary schools
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The Popes who were born in, or first ministered in, the Holy Land:
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