The Israel Knesset Christian Allies Caucus, established in 2004, seeks to imporve the relationship between Christians and Jews. This body works to open formal anddirect communication between the Jewish people and Christian leaders worldwide. The Christian Allies Caucus provides assistance in obtaining visa for the Christian community, educates Israelis about Christianity, promotes Christian tourism to Israel, and seeks to strengthen the status of women worldwide on the basis of Judeo-Christin values.
As of 2006, there were 148,000 Christians living in Isrtael, constituting 2.1% of the total population, and representing an increase of 400% since 1948. Israel is the only country in the Middle East where the Christian community has actually grown. Of these approximately 80,000 are Catholic and are divided among several denominations including the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Maronite Chruch, the Greek Milkite Catholic Church, the Syrian Catholic Church. The largest of these is the Mikite community, most of whom live in the Galilee total 50,000,and the Latin Patriarchate which comprises 20,000 people most ofwhom live in East Jerusalem, Nazareth, the West Bank and Gaza. The Christian communities are represented in four main groups: Orthodox, Non-Chalcedonian (Monophysite), Catholic (Latin and Uniate) and Protestant. More than 98 percent of the Chrsitian community in Isael live in urban areas with Nazareth having the largest Christian population at 19,000.
The Catholic presence in Israel dates back to the Crusade, when the first Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem was established in 1099 in the Crusader state of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Prior to then the Christians had been under the care of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. Following the Destruction of the Kingdom of Jerusalem by the Mamluks in 1291, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem survived only in Name and was re-established only in 1847 under Patriarch Joseph Valerga. The Latin Patriarche has enjoyed uninterrupted succession of 15 different patriarchs since that date. The current Patriarch is Fouad Twal and he is assisted by four Patriarchal vicars, who are based in Jerusalem, Nazareth, Amman and Cyprus.
Source: The Israel Project, the Israel Ministry of Tourism, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Christian Community Contact in Israel
Ain Karim – Visitation (Jerusalem),
Contact: Father Atanasius (Italian, English), Tel: 02 6417291
Ain Karim – St John (Jerusalem),
Contact: Nicolas (Italian, English), Tel: 026323000
Apostolic Delegation ( Jerusalem),
Contact: Mon Senior Paolo Borjia (English, French, Italian, Spanish), Tel: 026282298, 026288630
Bar Ilan University, Faculty of Jewish Studies
Prof. Jeshua Schwords, Tel: 0507273316; Prof. Ivan Fredman, Tel: 0528764761; General Tel: 03 531 8121,Fax: 03 535 1233, Email: [email protected]
Hebrew Speaking Catholic Vicariate
Contact: Patriarchal_Vicar_Rev. David Neuhaus SJ, Tel: 054 7822843, Email: [email protected]or Rev. Apolinaire Szwed, Tel: 026248255, Cell: 054445 4660, Email: [email protected]
CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES IN JERUSALEM |
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THE CATHOLIC CHURCH |
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1 – Apostolic Delegation |
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2 – Custody of the Holy Land |
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3 – Latin Patriarchate |
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4 – Greek-Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate (Melkite) |
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5 – Syrian Patriarchal Exarchate |
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6 – Maronite Patriarchal Exarchate |
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7 – Armenian Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate |
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8 – Chaldean Patriarchal Vicariate |
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9 – Catholic Coptic Diocese |
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THE ORTHODOX CHURCH |
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1 – Greek Orthodox Patriarchate |
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2 – Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate |
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3 – Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate |
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4 – Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarchate |
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5 – Rumanian Orthodox Patriarchate |
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6 – Russian Ecclesiastical Mission of the Russian Church Abroad (Outside Russia) |
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7 – Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem (Moscow Patriarchate) |
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8 – Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate |
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THE ANGLICAN CHURCH |
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1 – Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East |
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2 – Christ Church |
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EVANGELICAL – LUTHERAN CHURCH |
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1 – Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (E.L.C.J.H.L.) |
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English Speaking Congregation |
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Danish Israel Mission – Danish Church Abroad |
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Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission (FELM) |
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Swedish Theological Institute |
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2 – Lutheran Church of the Redeemer |
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German Speaking Congregation (Evangelische-Lutherische Propstei) |
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3 – Lutheran Church of the Ascension |
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OTHERS |
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1 – Baptist Convention in Israel |
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2 – Jerusalem Baptist Church |
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3 – First Baptist Bible Church |
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4 – East Jerusalem Baptist Church |
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5 – Reformed Baptist |
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6 – Christian Brethren Assembly |
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7 – Church of God |
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8 – Church of the Nazarene International |
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9 – French Protestant Churches (Federation) |
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10 – Garden Tomb – Interdenominational |
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11 – Jerusalem Church – Jerusalem Bible College |
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12 – King of Kings Assembly |
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13 – Korean Presbyterian Church |
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14 – Scots Memorial St. Andrew’s Church (Presbyterian) |
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15 – Seventh Day Adventist Centre |
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16 – St. Paul’s Fellowship |
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17 – The Jerusalem Alliance Church |
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18 – The New Alliance Church |
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