Rome and Jerusalem: The Vatican and Christianity in the Holy Land

For most of the twentieth century and during the early years of the twenty-first, Christianity in the Holy Land has found its presence significantly challenged from a number of directions—by destructive conflicts, by waves of migration and by a fragmented ecclesiology. Yet, the importance of Christianity in the Holy Land is not merely local; it also influences the identity of the two-billion-strong world community of Churches that make up Christendom. In particular, the Vatican and the Catholic Church have taken strong religious and political interest in the past, present and future configuration of Christianity in Jerusalem and in surrounding states. This paper will first seek to identify the Churches that make up the Christian body in the Holy Land and to describe many of the challenges that face them. The second part will look in detail at the origins and development of the policy of the Holy See regarding the Jerusalem question and the position of Christianity in the Holy Land more generally. Significant attention will be given to the theology and diplomacy of Popes Paul VI and John Paul II, as well as the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and its modern historical and religious nature