Vatican picks Nazareth as venue for papal mass

Haaretz ^ | March 3, 2009 | Jack Khoury

[NYer]

The large mass that Pope Benedict XVI will celebrate during his May visit to Israel will be held in Nazareth, and not in Haifa, as had been proposed.

Haaretz has learned that the Vatican made the decision last weekend following a visit by a Vatican delegation that met here with representatives of the two cities. The Christian historical associations with Nazareth tipped the scales in its favor despite some Vatican preference for Haifa.

Israel was notified Sunday about the plans for the mass, which is expected to attract tens of thousands of worshipers, although a formal announcement of the pope's visit and his schedule are only expected next week.

Speaking to Haaretz, Nazareth Mayor Ramez Jeraisi confirmed the details regarding the Vatican's decision on the venue of the mass, and said the city has begun making arrangements for the visit. The mayor indicated that Precipice Mountain will be the venue for the mass; it was prepared for such an event in 2000, when John Paul II visited Israel.

Jeraisi said he met Monday with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other officials, and that Nazareth was promised government help for the papal visit, including an allocation from the state budget.

The Nazareth municipality had been concerned about a possible Vatican preference for holding the mass in Haifa as the government believed Nazareth lacked the appropriate facilities. "We are pleased," Jeraisi said, "that in the end the Vatican took the correct and proper decision from our point of view, because no one can deny the status of Nazareth, and we will do whatever we can to ensure the visit and the mass will take place as they should, with the utmost success."

[NYer]

Related articles:

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• Olmert confirms Pope Benedict to visit Israel in May
  
• Clergy demand Pope postpone Israel trip after 'Like a Virgin' television spoof
  

[NYer]

Vatican adviser Wadia Abu Nasser, who will accompany the pope on his visit, said the pope is scheduled to land at Ben-Gurion International Airport on May 11. The mass in Nazareth will take place on the 14th. The Vatican envoy in Israel will announce further details about the visit in the near future.

[ml/nj]

Why would Haifa be high on the list?

ML/NJ

[txnativegop]

Are the islamic terrorists capable of trying something when the Pope gives the mass?

[ArrogantBustard]

Are the islamic terrorists capable of trying something when the Pope gives the Mass?

Cf course ... question is ... are IDF, Mossad, and the Swiss Guard able to prevent it?

[NYer]

Are the islamic terrorists capable of trying something when the Pope gives the mass?

I don't think they will interfere. The pope will be surrounded by some some of the best trained guardsmen in the world.

Swiss Guard

[txnativegop]

No sane man would take on the Swiss Guard, but then the terrorists aren’t sane, are they?

[Verginius Rufus]

I don’t know why Haifa would be high on anyone’s list (perhaps because of local Christians?). Up the coast Caesarea has NT connections (Paul was held there—see Acts 23 to 26), but Nazareth is a much more obvious site for a follower of Jesus of Nazareth. I don’t know if there are any suitable facilities at Caesarea.

[ml/nj]

Caesarea is south of Haifa. I seem to recall a rather large open area nesr the ruins but in the shadow of a mosque. There might be parking problems even if the space were adequate, but I suppose people could park elsewhere and be bussed in.

ML/NJ

[Verginius Rufus]

You’re right—I was looking at a map that didn’t show the location of Haifa and thought it was down near Tel Aviv. Caesarea is about the same latitude as Scythopolis (Beth Shean). Haifa’s position sort of resembles that of Monterey, at the southern end of a similarly-shaped bay. Haifa is near Mt. Carmel and Monterey is near Carmel-by-the-Sea and Carmel Valley. I wonder if the people who named the places in California were looking at a map of the Holy Land when they bestowed the names.

[bboop]

Nazareth has that Church of the Annunciation built, according to Wiki, over the site of Mary’s home. When we visited, however, I thot it was a swarming and fetid town. Maybe this will help them clean up some. At least they should add traffic signs.

[NYer]

Nazareth has that Church of the Annunciation built, according to Wiki, over the site of Mary’s home.

Which home was this? The one where the Annunciation took place, is in Loreto, Italy.

According to Catholic tradition, the Holy House came under threat during the turmoil of the Crusades, so in 1291, angels miraculously translated the house from its original location to a site in modern-day Croatia. An empty space was left in Nazareth and a small house suddenly appeared in a field in Croatia. The bewildered parish priest, brought to the scene by shepherds who discovered it, had a vision in which the Virgin Mary revealed it was her former house.

On December 10, 1294, the house was again moved by angels because of the Muslim invasion of Albania. It landed first in Recanti, Italy, but was shortly thereafter moved for a third time to its present location in Loreto.

[marshmallow]

Haifa??

Yeah, maybe if he's looking to get a suntan and go swimming, otherwise, Nazareth, Bethlehem or Jerusalem.

Personally, I'd put in a plug for the site of the Sermon on the Mount overlooking the shores of Galilee, where the first apostles worked and fished.

[NYer]

I'd put in a plug for the site of the Sermon on the Mount overlooking the shores of Galilee ...

I believe that is where JPII celebrated Mass with the Youth.

KORAZIM - Mount of the Beatitudes
24 March 2000: Holy Mass for youths