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In this photo taken Monday, May 19, 2014, a welcome banner for Pope Francis with his picture hangs on a building, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. Pope Francis will be arriving this weekend to the land where Christianity was born, and where Christians are disappearing. The Christian community in the Holy Land is one of the oldest in the world. But it has dwindled to around 2 percent of the population today, as economic hardship, violence and the bitter realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have sent them searching for better opportunities overseas. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)![Pope_Holy_Land__9_]()
In this Monday, May 12, 2014 photo, a welcome banner with a picture of Pope Francis hangs over a street near the Church of the Nativity, one of the stops of Pope Francis during his upcoming visit in the Holy Land at the end of this month, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. Israel's internal security agency said it fears there could be more anti-Christian vandalism attacks, and local Vatican officials have urged Israel to safeguard Christian holy sites ahead of the Pope Francis' visit at the end of the month. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)![Pope_Holy_Land__1_]()
In this Monday, May 12, 2014 photo, a welcome poster with a picture of Pope Francis is posted at a street near the Church of the Nativity, one of the stops of Pope Francis during his upcoming visit in the Holy Land at the end of this month, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. Israel's internal security agency said it fears there could be more anti-Christian vandalism attacks, and local Vatican officials have urged Israel to safeguard Christian holy sites ahead of the pope's visit at the end of the month. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)![Pope_Holy_Land__4_]()
In this photo taken Sunday, May 18, 2014, Palestinian Christian Maha Abu Dayyeh stands by her next door abandoned house that belongs to a Palestinian Christian emigre family, one of a half dozen abandoned homes that were saved and purchased by local Christians through the mediating efforts led by Father Ibrahim Shomali, the parish priest of Beit Jala, in the West Bank town of Beit Jala. Pope Francis will be arriving this weekend to the land where Christianity was born, and where Christians are disappearing. The Christian community in the Holy Land is one of the oldest in the world. But it has dwindled to around 2 percent of the population today, as economic hardship, violence and the bitter realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have sent them searching for better opportunities overseas. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)![Pope_Holy_Land__8_]()
In this photo taken Sunday, May 18, 2014, a wooden cross and a painting is seen at the office of Father Ibrahim Shomali, the parish priest of Beit Jala and leads meditating efforts between local Christians and Palestinian Christian emigre families who abandoned their homes, in order to keep Christian properties among Christians, at the Annunciation Latin Church, in the West Bank town of Beit Jala. Pope Francis will be arriving this weekend to the land where Christianity was born, and where Christians are disappearing. The Christian community in the Holy Land is one of the oldest in the world. But it has dwindled to around 2 percent of the population today, as economic hardship, violence and the bitter realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have sent them searching for better opportunities overseas. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)![Pope_Holy_Land__7_]()
In this photo taken Sunday, May 18, 2014, a dog guards the roof of a property that is under dispute in court where a Christian family accuses the house occupants of false ownership, in the West Bank town of Beit Jala. Pope Francis will be arriving this weekend to the land where Christianity was born, and where Christians are disappearing. The Christian community in the Holy Land is one of the oldest in the world. But it has dwindled to around 2 percent of the population today, as economic hardship, violence and the bitter realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have sent them searching for better opportunities overseas. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)![Pope_Holy_Land__6_]()
In this photo taken Sunday, May 18, 2014, the entrance of an abandoned house that belongs to a Palestinian Christian emigre family, one of a half dozen abandoned homes that were saved and purchased by local Christians through the mediating efforts led by Father Ibrahim Shomali, the parish priest of Beit Jala, in the West Bank town of Beit Jala. Pope Francis will be arriving this weekend to the land where Christianity was born, and where Christians are disappearing. The Christian community in the Holy Land is one of the oldest in the world. But it has dwindled to around 2 percent of the population today, as economic hardship, violence and the bitter realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have sent them searching for better opportunities overseas. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)![Pope_Holy_Land__5_]()
In this photo taken Sunday, May 18, 2014, Father Ibrahim Shomali, the parish priest of Beit Jala and leads meditating efforts between local Christians and Palestinian Christian emigre families who abandoned their homes, in order to keep Christian properties among Christians, stands at the Annunciation Latin Church, in the West Bank town of Beit Jala. Pope Francis will be arriving this weekend to the land where Christianity was born, and where Christians are disappearing. The Christian community in the Holy Land is one of the oldest in the world. But it has dwindled to around 2 percent of the population today, as economic hardship, violence and the bitter realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have sent them searching for better opportunities overseas. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)![Pope_Holy_Land__2_]()
In this photo taken Sunday, May 18, 2014, the entrance of an abandoned house that belongs to a Palestinian Christian emigre family, in the West Bank town of Beit Jala. Pope Francis will be arriving this weekend to the land where Christianity was born, and where Christians are disappearing. The Christian community in the Holy Land is one of the oldest in the world. But it has dwindled to around 2 percent of the population today, as economic hardship, violence and the bitter realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have sent them searching for better opportunities overseas. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)Pope Francis Makes Trip To The Holy Land
Christians in the Middle East have dwindled from over 10 percent of the population on the eve of Israel's founding to between 2 and 3 percent today, according to the local Roman Catholic church.
Move Forward
- Pope Francis Makes Trip To The Holy Land
