Bethlehem, where Christians are ever fewer

On the occasion of the visit of the president of Israel, Moshe Katsav, to the Vatican last Thursday, the vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land, Father Artemio Vitores, said: "Help us keep Bethlehem, where Christians are ever fewer." According to Father Vitores, Christians were the majority in 1965. "Today we are less than 12%. In recent years, impoverished by economic, social, and religious difficulties, at least 3,000 Christians have left Bethlehem in search of better prospects. There is a danger that Christians may disappear from Bethlehem altogether."