This year too, the Custody of the Holy Land wished to pay tribute to the Italian Republic with a solemn Eucharistic celebration in Jerusalem, on the occasion of the Italian national holiday which falls on June 2.

According to a well-established tradition, the Holy Mass is celebrated on the Sunday closest to the date on which Italy commemorates the institutional referendum of 1946 which marked the birth of the Republic.

This year, however, the coincidence with other liturgical celebrations on May 31 suggested postponing the appointment to the following Sunday, thus allowing for a wider participation of the faithful.

The liturgy was presided over by the Custos of the Holy Land, who in his homily, commenting on the Gospel of the day, the calling of Matthew, used these words: "today we celebrate this Eucharist on the occasion of the Italian Republic Day.

Being Italian in Jerusalem, in this time so complex for the Holy Land, helps us to remember some values that are at the basis of civil coexistence: respect for the dignity of every person, solidarity, participation in the common good, the search for peace and justice. The Republic was born from the rubble of a devastating war. Our fathers and mothers knew how to rebuild the Country not starting from revenge or exclusion, but from the conviction that it was possible to build together a more just, freer and more humane society.

Here in Jerusalem, a city loved by God and wounded by the divisions of men, this evangelical word takes on an even stronger meaning. Peace will not be born from mutual exclusion, but from the capacity to recognize in the other a person, a history, a possibility. Peace is born when someone finds the courage to take the first step, like Jesus who approaches Matthew."

The celebration was attended by the Consul General of Italy in Jerusalem, H.E. Domenico Bellato, together with some members of the staff of the Italian Consulate, numerous fellow nationals residing and working in Jerusalem and several Italian religious present in the Holy Land.

As also recalled in previous celebrations, this appointment is not only a tribute to Italy, but is part of a broader tradition of the Custody, which every year prays in a special way for the four Catholic nations, Italy, France, Spain and Belgium, which throughout history have supported and protected the Christian communities of the Holy Land. It is an ancient and deep bond, which continues today through multiple forms of cultural, pastoral and charitable collaboration.

Celebrating the Republic Day in church, and especially in the Holy Land, thus takes on a special meaning: it is an invitation to recognize that the life of peoples and nations finds its foundation in the highest values of human dignity, solidarity and shared responsibility.

In the unique context of Jerusalem, city of encounter between peoples and religions, this celebration acquires an even more universal value: entrusting Italy to the Lord means praying for a more just and fraternal world, where differences do not divide but enrich, and where every nation can contribute to the common good of humanity.

In this particular year, in which the 80th anniversary of the Italian Republic occurs, the prayer becomes even more intense and grateful: for the journey made, for the gifts received and for the responsibility of building the future in peace.

The celebration concluded in an atmosphere of fraternity and sharing, a tangible sign of the living bond between the Custody of the Holy Land and Italy, a bond that continues to renew itself over time through faith, history and common commitment for the Christian presence in the Holy Places.