On Sunday, May 24, in an atmosphere of recollection and prayer, marked by the absence of pilgrims but also by a fragile truce in the regional context, the Custody of the Holy Land celebrated the Solemnity of Pentecost in the places that guard the living memory of the birth of the Church.

The celebrations began on Saturday evening, in the church of San Salvatore, with the solemn First Vespers, presided over by the Vicar of the Custody, Fr. Ulise Zarza. A moment that introduced the faithful to the mystery of Pentecost, the heart of the life of the Church.

Afterward, in the same church, the Pentecost Vigil took place, presided over by the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Francesco Ielpo. The biblical readings retraced the history of salvation as the history of the action of the Holy Spirit.

In his homily, the Custos recalled the contrast between Babel and Pentecost: "Babel returns every time we ourselves, our power, our interest are at the center… Pentecost, on the other hand, is the opposite of Babel… the Spirit creates communion without canceling diversity."

In a context marked by divisions and misunderstandings, the Custos strongly emphasized the relevance of this message precisely for the Holy Land: "We are not called to feed new 'Babels'… we are called to invoke and witness to the gift of the Spirit, which alone can create a new humanity."

At the dawn of Pentecost Sunday, the Custos and some friars went to Mount Zion, to the Cenacle, the place of the Last Supper and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the Apostles, for the celebration of the Holy Mass. In this place so full of memory, Fr. Francesco recalled how the Spirit is at the origin of a new creation: "The Holy Spirit is the principle of a new humanity… transforms that fragile group into a living, free, and missionary community." He also invited people to rediscover the essential role of the Spirit in Christian life: "It is not a decorative addition… it is the very soul of the Church… the One who makes possible what humanly seems impossible."

In the afternoon, again in the Cenacle, various religious communities gathered together with the friars of the Custody and local faithful for the celebration of Second Vespers, which concluded the celebrations. A particularly evocative moment was characterized by the lighting of numerous small candles, a memory of the tongues of fire that rested on the Apostles, and by the proclamation of the Our Father in different languages, a visible sign of unity in diversity.

In the homily, the Custos recalled the profound meaning of this place: "Here, a closed and frightened community became a Church open to the world… the Spirit does not eliminate differences… but creates communion in diversity."

And again, looking at the reality of the Holy Land, he stressed the mission of the Church: to be a sign of unity, reconciliation, and communion, in a land marked by divisions and fears. This year's celebrations took place without the presence of pilgrims, due to the uncertainty linked to the geopolitical situation, despite a moment of truce in the conflicts with Lebanon and Iran. However, precisely in this context, the prayer became even more intense and universal.

From the Cenacle, the place of the birth of the Church, the invocation resonated once again: "You send your Spirit, Lord, and renew the face of the earth."