QASR AL-YAHUD, West Bank (Reuters) – A sanctuary near the traditional site of Jesus’ baptism on the Jordan River hosted an Epiphany procession for the first time in more than 50 years on Sunday after being declared free of landmines.
Father Francesco Patton, the guardian of the Holy Land for the Roman Catholic Church, led the Franciscan friars to a sanctuary in what was once a war zone between Israel and Jordan.
Although the two countries have been at peace since 1994, seven churches have been abandoned for more than 50 years in the area of mine clearance operations. The area is about a kilometer from the site of the baptism of Qasr al-Yahud in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which is a major attraction for Christian pilgrims.
“Today, we are back to pray,” said Father Ibrahim Faltas, one of the clergy present at the ceremony. Attendance at the procession, which commemorates Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist, was limited to 50 due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Israeli demining efforts began in 2018 and included support from the Halo Trust, a demining group based in Scotland, an Israeli official said.
In 2021, “the danger was completely removed,” said a branch of Israel’s defense ministry.
After visiting the sanctuary, the friars passed through unlit signs saying “DANGER – MINES!” in English, Arabic and Hebrew as they went down to the river to pray.
(Written by Rami Ayyub; Editing by Alexander Smith)