Holy Land: The Pontifical Mission is a mission of Divine Mercy

Among the great measures undertaken by the Catholic Church towards the oppressed and suffering people was the establishment of the Pontifical Mission in Palestine.

After UN General Assembly’s adoption of a plan for the partition of Palestine on 29 November 1947, renewed hostilities began between Arabs and Jews which brought affliction and anxiety to the heart of the Holy Father, Pope Pius XII. He asked for supplications “that the situation in Palestine may at long last be settled justly and thereby concord and peace be also happily established.”

Pius XII, “without abandoning the attitude of impartiality,” did his utmost to attain justice and peace in Palestine. The Holy Father had been studying the efforts of the Church among the refugees with a view to unifying all the work of humanitarian and charitable assistance of the Holy See into one overall pontifical agency. In April 1949, Pope Pius summoned to Rome Monsignor Thomas J. McMahon, National Secretary of Catholic Near East Welfare Association. The pope informed him of his intention to organize a special mission for Palestine and named him its president.

On 18 June 1949, Eugene Cardinal Tisserant, secretary of the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Church, published an Instruction announcing that the Holy Father had erected a Pontifical Mission for Palestine and outlined its competence: “It has been decided to bring together under the Pontifical Mission, operating in the Holy Land, all those organizations and associations which are engaged in activities concerning the East, and which are scattered throughout many countries of Europe and other continents.” The field headquarters of the Pontifical Mission for Palestine was established in Beirut. Later, offices were established in Jerusalem and in Amman.

Manuel Abu Issa, who in those early years was responsible for the field operations of the Pontifical Mission office in Jerusalem, remembered going out to the field every day and “visiting refugees in the camps set up by the United Nations. We would distribute wheat, rice, barley and sometimes sugar. We were always in the field,” he said, “and always pressed to do more.” From a small room in the Old City, Abu Issa, Msgr. McMahon and Father Eugene Hoade o.f.m., an Irish Franciscan who from 1949 was responsible for the administration of the Jerusalem office, distributed tons of clothing to refugees donated mostly by American Catholics.

Marking the 75th anniversary of the Pontifical Mission in the Holy Land a ”Diamond Jubilee Mass” was celebrated by Apostolic Nuncio in Jordan Bishop Giovanni Pietro Dal Toso and President of the Pontifical Mission for Palestine Msgr. Peter Vaccaro at St. Mary of Nazareth Church, Sweetie on Wednesday, July 17, 2024.

In his homily, Bishop Giovanni Pietro Dal Toso, said that he was honored to preside as Apostolic Nuncio over this Eucharistic celebration on the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the Pontifical Mission.”

He said, “We can celebrate today the fact that the universal Church, 75 years ago, wanted a special institution to help the Palestinian people after the events of 1948. We all know the sufferings of that time, involving also the Kingdom of Jordan. But we should remember with gratitude today that with Pope Pius XII the Holy See was concerned about the people in this region and for this reason created the Pontifical Mission, in order to help the people in their suffering and the local Church in its activity. This work lasted for 75 years, and the Pontifical Mission continues today to support Christians and non-Christians in the whole region of the Middle East. This is a sign, that the Holy See doesn’t forget what is happening here and the difficulties we are living through.

He continued, “Let me say in particular that after what we experienced on October 7th and in the months after, Pope Francis and the Holy See in general always called for peace and reconciliation, for the release of hostages and prisoners, for the ceasefire and the end of war, for respect and international support for the Gazan population and in general for the Palestinian people and their right to have a proper State. What Pope Pius XII began continues today with Pope Francis. Let me quote in this regard Pope Saint Paul VI, who said 50 years ago: “The Pontifical Mission is one of the clearest signs of the Vatican’s concern for the welfare of the Palestinians, who are particularly dear to us”. In that way, we are grateful for the activity of the Holy See, both diplomatic and humanitarian, aimed at supporting all the Christians and all the people in the Middle East.

He concluded his address saying, “Let us express today our special gratitude to Pontifical Mission for its care for the Middle East, and I’m especially thankful for the presence of an office here in Amman, where the Pontifical Mission, through its qualified staff continues to help in pastoral and humanitarian activity for Jordanians and for refugees. My heartfelt thanks. Your work is a stone in the construction of a peaceful Middle East!”

In this regard, it is worthy to note that Lord Jesus Christ says: 'I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me into your home.” In this context, the Pontifical Mission, Jerusalem, responded to this call by delivering emergency aid in the form of meals, medicine, fuel, and other necessities for the displaced in Gaza while supporting the unemployed and their families in the West Bank who continue to face numerous challenges.

Many thanks go to the Catholic Church for its innumerable projects, measures, and institutions that strive day and day to pluck humanity out of miseries and create atmospheres conducive to the attainment of livelihood abounding with nobility and a bright future.