Custos of the Holy Land urges global unity through the Good Friday Collection amid war and hardship in the Holy Land.
Newsroom (19/02/2026 Gaudium Press ) As Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Francesco Ielpo, OFM, has issued a heartfelt letter urging Christians worldwide to unite in support of the annual Pro Terra Sancta Collection. Calling the Good Friday appeal “a concrete sign of communion with the Church of Jerusalem,” Fr. Ielpo speaks to a world weary of conflict, where “hope itself appears wounded.”
For centuries, Pope-endorsed Good Friday collections have symbolized the global Church’s tangible connection to the sacred places of Christ’s passion and resurrection. This year, amid mounting turmoil across the Middle East, that bond takes on even deeper significance.
A Call Amid Crisis
“As Holy Week approaches, our hearts and our gaze return here to the Holy Land,” Fr. Ielpo writes, reflecting on the spiritual center of Christianity — the place “where the Son of God gave his life ‘until the end.’” From that origin, he continues, the Church itself was born, and it is from there that today’s faithful are called to renew their unity and hope.
But the context he describes is one of profound pain. Across Gaza, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, and Syria, conflict continues to fracture lives and communities. With tourism halted and pilgrims absent, families are increasingly unable to sustain themselves. “Hope itself appears wounded,” he laments, highlighting young people’s struggle to imagine a future in their homeland.
Hope and Solidarity Through Action
Fr. Ielpo frames the Good Friday Collection not merely as charity, but as a Christian duty — a living expression of communion and compassion. “The Pontifical Collection Pro Terra Sancta is not just a gesture of solidarity: it is a concrete sign of communion with the Church of Jerusalem,” he emphasizes.
Funds gathered through the collection sustain schools, parishes, and charitable projects, while also enabling emergency relief efforts. These contributions keep alive the Christian presence in the very lands where the Gospel first spread. Through such support, communities rebuild “not only buildings, but also relations, trust, and hope.”
Education and the Rebuilding of Hope
The Custos underscores that restoring the social fabric of the region requires investing in young people, families, and education — the foundations of what he calls “a culture of encounter and peace.” By fostering dialogue and understanding, the Church aims to nurture the next generation with the tools and faith to reconcile rather than divide.
Echoing Pope Francis’ calls for peace, prayer, and fasting, Fr. Ielpo insists that the Church must bear witness to compassion and courage, even when despair seems overwhelming. “Today more than ever we are called to rebuild,” he writes.
A Shared Burden and a Shared Prayer
As Good Friday approaches, the Custos invites the global Christian community to remember the Holy Land not only in their prayers but also through tangible support. The collection, he says, binds the faithful worldwide to those living at the heart of the faith’s history — the people who continue to pray daily for peace.
“Your closeness is for us a precious sign of fraternity and hope,” Fr. Ielpo concludes, reminding the world that the Christians of Jerusalem and the surrounding lands have not ceased to pray — not just for peace in their homeland, but for all humanity.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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