Between April 24 and 31, 2025, the General Secretariat of Christian Youth in Palestine (Youth of Jesus’ Homeland) has organized a Jubilee of Hope pilgrimage to Rome for teenagers.

Upon our return, I felt the importance of leaving a written record of this unique pilgrimage. Pope Francis, may God have mercy on him, loved to call God the God of surprises: "This is what the Lord loves to do — the Lord is the Lord of surprises, of miracles in surprises — " he once said.

From beginning to end, this pilgrimage was a series of surprises: administrative complications, the unexpected death of His Holiness the Pope, and the subsequent postponement of the canonization of young Carlo Acutis. Participation in this very event was the basis for organizing this whole pilgrimage for the teenagers! In Rome, there were many surprises and unexpected encounters that made our voice as Palestinian Christians reach far beyond expectations! I might one day consider recounting these events in detail, if the time comes. In addition to these "general surprises," I am certain, and indeed aware, that other surprises occurred at the personal level of each individual, deep within their hearts, in the inner chamber where a person meets himself and the God Almighty. 

Alongside Father Louis Salman, the spiritual director of the General Secretariat in Palestine, Mr. Andree Haddad, from Nazareth, the city of the Holy Family, participated in organizing this pilgrimage, in coordination with generous benefactors in Italy, especially the Jesuit Father Massimo. We asked him, and the other young men and women, to share with us something related to this journey that touched their hearts. Andree responded, saying, "When we began planning the trip, we simply said: If this is the Lord's will, everything will be done according to His plan. As for us, we must do what we are required to do with sincerity of heart and for the glory of God. Jesus said, 'Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you' (Matthew 6:33). I personally have experienced this grace, both during the preparation period and during the trip itself. The Lord blessed us with graces that we had not expected, and He fulfilled the plan perfectly. Thus, I testify with all my heart that whoever works for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, God will shower him with an abundance of His graces and provide him with everything he needs."

When the horizon darkens, we live from hope

At this stage in the history of our people and our Church in the Holy Land, there is a general feeling that years of hopes for achieving a just and sustainable peace and enjoying a dignified life on the soil of our land have become a mirage. And that the future of our existence and the realization of our dreams in the land where it all began, is collapsing like a house of cards! It is the power of darkness, instilling in everyone feelings of terror, hatred, despair, and profound frustration. This is the era that has come to confirm for us what we have always feared: that no one ultimately cares about us, except for a tiny few, who unfortunately have no capability... from a human perspective.

But the God of the living, who is able to bring new life out of death, the God of surprises, has allowed us to see a new hope germinating, through the power of Faith and Hope! And without us realizing it, God has continually given us many signs of His presence, only to return and say to us once again: "Do not be afraid, for I have overcome the world." This faithfulness of God is what makes us "hope against any hope," despite the vicissitudes of people and of circumstances.

What are these signs? There are many of them, the most important at this moment is the compassion of most peoples with the cause of our Palestinian people! Humanity is still in good shape, and not all humans have become wolves for their fellow humans. This is the universal brotherhood that Pope Francis championed. We walked the streets of Rome, proudly carrying our cross and the flag of our wounded nation, our faith and our tragedy, our joy but also our sorrow, and our hope despite our fears. The crowds coming to Rome saw this and greeted us! They cried out with us to God, asking for justice and peace for us and for them, and they wept with us for the tens of thousands of innocent children, women, and men who fell dead in Gaza and the West Bank because of a hatred that can only be explained by the power of evil in its purest form! We took from this compassion a new strength, which we returned with to transmit to our people, who are steadfast despite the impossible daily life under occupation, injustice, mass destruction, and the looming existential threat, while the world (the leaders of this world) looks on, justifies, and then turns away so as not to do what they know they should be doing. Speaking of this hope, teenager Louis, from Bethlehem, the city of the Nativity, said: "The trip to Rome and the Vatican was truly a great blessing in my life. I felt God's presence in my heart more than ever before. Through visiting the many churches, praying, attending Masses, and listening to the priests, something changed within us. I felt that the Lord had sent me a message of love and assurance that He is always with us and that He works in ways we could not have imagined. We learned a lot, not only religiously, but also historically and culturally. We interacted with Italian youth and talked about peace, Palestine, the Palestinian cause, and love. I felt that our voices had been heard... I felt like I was in a second family."

Adolescence as a space for Holiness: Who is your role model?

There is no doubt that meeting a "living example of holiness" is more eloquent than any other sermon or teaching on the call to holiness. Modern man listens to witnesses more than he listens to teachers, as Pope Paul VI put it.

What the Church offered to teenage Christians this year is, quite simply, a living example of holiness that speaks to their reality today. A child of their generation, who lived in their era, the post-modern era, played with their toys, and was exposed to the same temptations of life, yet succeeded in achieving the goal of his Christian life. He tells them: "You see, it's not impossible!" Holiness is not a thing of the past, holiness is not "utopian"... Holiness is appropriate for every age and every group.

For his part, Ram, a young teenager from the village of Zababdeh, added: "When I saw Blessed Carlo Acutis, a boy that has the same age as me, declared a saint by the Church, I realized that I, too, am capable of becoming a saint. I want to become a saint like him. I also felt the paternal and fraternal love of the responsible."

Issa, from Beit Sahour, the city of the Shepherds, added, "Seeing Saint Carlo, who died as a boy in our generation, changed our thinking. When we thought about him, when we saw his body, which has not decomposed to this day, our gaze was directed toward holiness."

Albert, from the village of Burqin, added, "We met many saints, including Carlo Acutis. This young man made me feel that God had given me the strength to change and to draw closer to Him... I also felt like I was part of one family, where we joked and had fun together with great spontaneity, despite the short period we lived together."

From a narrow perspective of the Church to a universal one: You are not alone!

In the Holy Land, Christians are among the indigenous inhabitants of the country, but for many reasons, including economic and political ones, they have dropped to no more than one percent of the total population. However, alongside the important presence of church institutions, the presence of Christians in the local community is a presence that makes a difference wherever they are. The principal temptation they face today is the feeling of being a vulnerable minority, and that the solution lies in emigration. Therefore, such meetings with other believers across the universal Church, as well as with pilgrims to the Holy Land, whom we hope will return to fill the holy places and offer moral and material support to their brothers and sisters living around the holiest Christian sites, remind Palestinian Christians that they are not abandoned, nor are they a vulnerable minority, but rather part of the People of God, living here and carrying a message here that is distinct from the message of all Christians in the world. This message is pivotal for all Christians in the world and for all the peoples of the region. Ciel, who lives in the Holy City with her father, Andree, recounted her experience, saying: “As I stood in the Vatican Square, surrounded by thousands of young teenagers, I felt the Lord saying to me: You are not alone! My Church is large and has a heart capable of embracing everyone... The Lord has prepared for us a place where we can rest and experience true brotherhood.” 

The Mystery of Death: The Beginning of Eternal Life

Death is an almost daily reality in Palestine. The value of human persons here seems to be cheap! It's as if there's a "hierarchy" in the dignity of a human beings, determined by nationality, religious affiliation, or ethnicity. Yet, death remains a terrible mystery. It remains humanity's most cruel enemy. Even outside of Palestine, these teenagers realized that there is no escape from death. In addition to the death of His Holiness Pope Francis, one of the participating girls lost her grandmother while in Italy. Hala, from Birzeit, later shared this experience with us, saying, "A death occurred in my family during the trip, but I felt that God wanted me to be there, at that very moment, in order to pray for the one I lost. I did so in every church I entered so that she would have a place with Jesus. Through the people who spoke to me in my grief, I felt that God had given me a message."

Hope does not deceive us: a renewed joy and a renewed Paschal horizon!

This pilgrimage has truly been a "pilgrimage of Hope"! These young men and women have attained a pilgrimage of Resurrection for a new life and a new horizon, and they have returned with it to their country, their land, their families, their schools, their parishes, their friends and their people like those who carry a light into a dark place. Their mission now is undoubtedly to fulfill Jesus' command: "You are the light of the world!"