Michael Brooks
Israel is a country steeped in religious history, with sites of significance for Christians, including Catholics, as well as Jews and Muslims. While Israel is predominantly Jewish, there is a small Catholic community, with around 103 Catholic parishes in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The Catholic population includes Arabic-speaking, Hebrew-speaking, and migrant worker and refugee communities. The Catholic Church has a presence in Israel, with several orders operating in the region, and the country is a popular pilgrimage site for Catholics from around the world.
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What You'll Learn
Catholic population in Israel
Israel is a homeland for the Jewish people and a refuge from persecution. It is organized under a constitution that guarantees freedom of religion. However, Israeli politics and culture are also designed to ensure the country’s status as a Jewish state. For Catholics, the land is tied to the central events of Christian revelation, including the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, which makes Israel an especially compelling and complicated place to live.
The Catholic population in Israel includes Palestinian, Hebrew-speaking, and migrant worker and refugee communities. The majority of Catholics in Israel are Arabic-speaking, with Hebrew-speaking Catholics constituting a small minority. The Hebrew-speaking Catholic community is the smallest among the many expressions of the Church in the Holy Land, comprising about a thousand Catholic faithful living in Israel. They are immersed in a Hebrew cultural and linguistic environment and are served by eight priests dedicated to serving in five parish communities: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Haifa, Beer Sheva, and Tiberias. The vicariate also includes two communities of Russian-speaking faithful located in Haifa and Latrun.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the main Roman Catholic institution in Israel, is responsible for the pastoral care of Roman Catholics in Israel, Palestine, and Jordan. It operates parishes, schools, and hospitals in the region and also runs the Terra Sancta Museum in Jerusalem, showcasing the history and culture of the Holy Land. The Melkite Church serves the largest number of Catholics, followed by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which serves 13% of Christians.
There are currently 103 Catholic parishes in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, with 8 language chaplaincies and 7 ethnic pastoral centers within the Latin Patriarchate. The Holy See is represented by an Apostolic Nuncio to Israel and an Apostolic Delegate in Jerusalem and Palestine. The Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, a Catholic religious order, is responsible for the care of most Christian holy sites and shrines under the jurisdiction of the Catholic Church, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
At the start of the 21st century, there were approximately 200,000 Christians in Israel and the Palestinian territories, representing about 1.5% of the total population. By 2020, Catholics made up 1.27% of the population, although some estimates placed the figure at more than double that. In 2022, Christians made up 1.9% of the Israeli population, numbering approximately 185,000.
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Catholic holy sites
Israel is a country that is significant to three major religions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The country guarantees freedom of religion, but its politics and culture are designed to ensure its status as a Jewish state.
For Catholics, Israel is a compelling and complicated place to live. The Catholic population in Israel includes Arabic-speaking, Hebrew-speaking, and migrant worker and refugee communities. The Hebrew-speaking Catholic community is the smallest, comprising about a thousand Catholic faithful.
There are 103 Catholic parishes in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land has care of most of the Christian holy sites and shrines under the jurisdiction of the Catholic Church. The oldest of these is the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, established as a province in 1217.
- Via Dolorosa & Church of the Holy Sepulcher: The way of Agony, where Jesus carried the cross, starts at the location of Antonia fortress, where Jesus was condemned. The last 5 stations, including Golgotha, are located at the Church of Holy Sepulcher. Jesus’s Tomb is believed to be in the center of the church, under a large rotunda with a large dome.
- Church of Gethsemane / Church of Agony / Church of All Nations: This church is located in Jerusalem and is one of the most impressive churches in the city. It contains the sorrow and sadness of the event that happened in the area: The Arrest of Jesus.
- Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth: This church was built atop the ancient village of Nazareth, where Jesus grew up.
- Church of St. Joseph, Nazareth: This church is under the care of the Franciscans.
- Church of St. Anne, Jerusalem: This church is under the care of the Missionaries of Africa.
- Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, Jerusalem: This church is under the care of the Assumptionists.
- Church of St. Stephen, Jerusalem: This church is under the care of the Dominicans.
- Via Dolorosa 3rd and 4th Stations, Jerusalem: These stations are under the care of the Armenian Catholics.
- Church of St. Lazarus, Bethany: This church is under the care of the Franciscans.
- Church of St. John in the Desert, Ein Karem: This church is under the care of the Franciscans.
- Church of St. Peter, Tiberias: This church is under the care of the Koinonia Giovanni Battista.
- The Synagogue Church, Nazareth: This church is under the care of the Greek Melkite Catholics.
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Hebrew-speaking Catholics
Israel, a country founded in 1948 as a homeland for the Jewish people, guarantees freedom of religion in its constitution. However, its politics and culture are designed to uphold its status as a Jewish state. This makes it a complicated place for Catholics, for whom the land is tied to the central events of Christian revelation, including the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
The Catholic population in Israel includes Palestinian, Hebrew-speaking, and migrant worker and refugee communities. Hebrew-speaking Catholics are the smallest group among the many expressions of the Church in the Holy Land. They number about a thousand faithful, immersed in a Hebrew cultural and linguistic environment. They are distinct from Arabic-speaking Catholics, who make up about 85% of Catholics in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
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Arabic-speaking Catholics
Israel, a country founded in 1948 as a homeland for the Jewish people, guarantees freedom of religion in its constitution. However, its politics and culture are designed to uphold its status as a Jewish state. This makes Israel a complicated place for Catholics, as the land is tied to pivotal events in Christian revelation, including the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
The Catholic population in Israel includes Arabic-speaking, Hebrew-speaking, and migrant worker and refugee communities. Arabic-speaking Catholics make up about 85% of Catholics in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Many of them also know Hebrew but are not fluent. They are spread across various parishes and chaplaincies, with the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land caring for most Christian holy sites and shrines under the Catholic Church's jurisdiction.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has devised a pastoral care plan for Hebrew-speaking Catholics through the St. James Vicariate, with eight priests serving in five parish communities. The vicariate provides spiritual guidance and support to its members, especially during challenging times of war and military service.
In addition to the Arabic and Hebrew-speaking Catholic communities, there are also Greek Melkite Catholics, Latin Catholics, and Maronite Catholics in Israel, with approximately 200,000 Christians in the country at the start of the 21st century, representing about 1.5% of the total population.
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Catholic relations with Jews
The Catholic Church and Judaism have had a long and complex history of cooperation and conflict, with a strained relationship throughout history, particularly during the Middle Ages. The Catholic Church is the largest Christian denomination, with roots in the early Christian community, while Judaism is the oldest monotheistic religion. Christianity began as a movement within Judaism in the mid-1st century, with the first Christians being Jewish. Worshippers of the two diverging religions initially coexisted, but they began to branch out under Paul the Apostle, who portrayed Jews as Christ's killers.
During the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church institutionalized antisemitism, creating discriminatory laws and the Inquisition, which led to widespread persecution of Jews, including forced conversions, expulsions, and massacres. Jews were expelled from Catholic kingdoms, including England and Spain, and many principalities and cities of the Holy Roman Empire and Italy.
However, in the 20th century, following the Holocaust, the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s improved relations between the Catholic Church and Judaism. The Church repudiated the Jewish deicide accusation, addressed antisemitism, and issued an apology to the Jewish community. In 1965, the Church issued the document "Nostra aetate", condemning antisemitism and recognizing the shared heritage of Jews and Christians.
Since then, Catholic-Jewish relations have continued to improve, with interfaith committees meeting regularly and joint projects on social justice, interfaith dialogue, and Holocaust education. The Catholic Church has also taken steps to address past wrongs, such as the establishment of the Vatican Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews.
In Israel, which has a constitution guaranteeing freedom of religion, there is a small but vibrant Hebrew-speaking Catholic community of about a thousand faithful. They are served by the St. James Vicariate, an autonomous vicariate within the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, with eight priests dedicated to serving in five parish communities. The vicariate includes two communities of Russian-speaking faithful, and Hebrew-speaking Catholics also sometimes attend activities with Arabic-speaking Catholic communities, which make up the majority of Catholics in Israel.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, there are Catholics in Israel. In 2020, Catholics made up 1.27% of the population, although some estimates are more than twice that.
The Catholic population of Israel includes Arabic-speaking, Hebrew-speaking, and migrant worker and refugee communities.
The Hebrew-speaking Catholic community is the smallest expression of the Church in the Holy Land. It comprises about a thousand Catholic faithful living in Israel. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has devised a specific pastoral care plan for Hebrew-speaking Catholics through the St. James Vicariate, which includes eight priests dedicated to serving in five parish communities.
Yes, there are many Catholic churches in Israel. Examples include the Church of Transfiguration, the Church of St. Peter, and the Church of the Pater Noster.
Israel is significant to Catholics as the land is tied to the central events of Christian revelation, including the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. For this reason, many Catholics dream of visiting the Holy Land and going on a pilgrimage to retrace the footsteps of Jesus.
