Christians hold Christmas masses in Bethlehem and Gaza
(25 Dec 2012) SHOTLIST Bethlehem, West Bank 1. Wide of Church of the Nativity which stands on the site where tradition holds Jesus was born 2. Wide exterior of St. Catherine's church (adjoining the Church of the Nativity) 3. Mid of Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal arriving at mass 4. Various of mass Gaza City, Gaza Strip 5. Wide of church exterior 6. Close up of cross on top of church 7. Various of worshippers gathering in front of church 8. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Rami (no last name given), Gazan Christian: "We hope (Israel) will allow those who are less than 35 years old to visit Bethlehem because the real place for this celebration is not Gaza but Bethlehem. We want to go there to pray." 9. More of faithful outside church STORYLINE: Palestinian Christians celebrated Christmas Day on Tuesday with some attending a special mass in Bethlehem at the Church of the Nativity which stands on the site where tradition holds Jesus was born. Overcast skies and a cold wind in the Holy Land didn't dampen the spirits of worshippers in the biblical West Bank town. Bells pealed and long lines formed inside the fourth-century church complex as Christian faithful waited to see the grotto that is Jesus' traditional birthplace. For those who couldn't fit into the cavernous Bethlehem church, a loudspeaker outside broadcast the Christmas day service to hundreds of faithful in the square. An official from the Palestinian tourism ministry predicted 10,000 foreigners would visit Bethlehem on Christmas Day and said 15,000 visited on Christmas Eve - up 20 percent from a year earlier. The official attributed the rise in part to the Church of the Nativity's classification earlier this year as a U.N. World Heritage Site. Meanwhile, the tiny Christian community in Gaza also gathered for a Christmas Day mass. Fewer than 3,000 Christians live among 1.7 million Muslim residents in Gaza and their numbers have rapidly shrunk in recent years because of turmoil in the territory. The Israeli Defence Force has issued permits to some 500 Palestinian Christians living in Gaza, allowing them to travel to the West Bank, specifically Bethlehem, for Christmas. However, those aged between 16 and 35 years old are banned from making the journey. "We hope (Israel) will allow those who are less than 35 years old to visit Bethlehem because the real place for this celebration is not Gaza but Bethlehem. We want to go there to pray," said one Gazan Christian after he left a Christmas Day mass. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
