[history_matters]

This LINK should take you to a discussion about the situation at the Church of the Holy Nativity between Fr. Peter Vasko, OFM and Fr. Mitch Pacwa, SJ.

[history_matters]

p i n g

[metacognative]

There must be some important islam-fascists in that building. Hope they don't get away...and I'm disappointed that fellow christians seem to be aiding them

[Lent]

gunmen burst into the church compound to seek refuge with some 50 monks, priests and nuns.

They BROKE into the church to desecrate it and hold captive the priests and nuns inside. The palestinian terrorist have no concern about Christian places of worship as they routinely desecrated and destroyed them in Lebanon. REMEMBER: Damour, 1976.

[Askel5]

Stand trial ... or be expelled?

None of this makes any sense.

[mdittmar]

We are locked up and we could not see the whole thing," he told Reuters by telephone.

Hey,I thought they weren't hostages?

[Steve Eisenberg]

Fransiscan Father Seweryn Lubecki, who is one of several dozen Christian clerics stranded in the church after Palestinian gunmen burst in two weeks ago, said the fighting lasted for about an hour.

"We could hear heavy rifle and tank shooting. It is hard for us to determine who started the shooting. We are locked up and we could not see the whole thing," he told Reuters by telephone.

"It seems that the basilica was not damaged. The Israeli soldiers are very careful not to damage it," he said.

This is strikingly honest and brave on the part of Father Lubecki; most reports from Christians inside the church seem like they were just saying what those holding the church want them to say. I hope the Israelis have some realistic plan on how to get out of this particular little quagmire; my Christian friends here have been very patient with Israel on this, but the Monte Cassino solution, God forbid, is too horrid to contemplate.

[Angelique]

I believe the Israelis. They could have done something a long time ago. I understand that all Palestinians in the Church are not terrorists, but this shows that the terrorists will stop at nothing, to include sacrificing their own children. I shall continue to pray for the Franciscans and those who are innocent. I do not trust the mayor.

[ELS]

a discussion about the situation at the Church of the Holy Nativity between Fr. Peter Vasko, OFM and Fr. Mitch Pacwa, SJ.

I saw the interview on EWTN last week. It was very interesting. My heart goes out to the Christians living in the West Bank and to the religious orders who maintain the holy sites. I would like visit the Holy Land someday, but not under the current conditions, certainly.

[Revolting cat!]

Reading the post and the rest of the thread I must conclude that we know that we don't know for sure, but I'll be damned if anyone will admit it. After all, there is Reuters, there is FOX News and there is us, convinced that having 500 telebision channels with nothing on them gives us all the knowledge we need and all the rights to jump to quick conclusions. Stockholm Syndrome in Betlehem? The Delphi Technique, anyone?

We know who the scumbags are, so let's give the Franciscan Fathers the benefit of a doubt before we start pointing fingers and whining.

[pgkdan]

"We could hear heavy rifle and tank shooting. It is hard for us to determine who started the shooting. We are locked up and we could not see the whole thing," he told Reuters by telephone.

Locked up??? I thought they were there voluntarily, not hostages.