JERUSALEM, Apr 15, 02 (FIDES/CWNews.com) - On the 13th day of a siege at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Franciscan friars finally received the medical supplies that they desperately needed. But the friars have told the Fides news service that they are still facing a "slow death."
Since April 2, more than 200 Palestinian militants have been barricaded inside the Nativity complex. The Franciscan custodians of the shrine, who have called repeatedly for a peaceful solution, are determined to stay and guard the church, where they have served for centuries.
After rejecting several earlier requests, Israeli soldiers surrounding the Church of the Nativity finally allowed the delivery of some medical supplies to the Franciscans. The arrival of those supplies avoided some serious medical problems for some friars-- including one diabetic Franciscan who had exhausted his supply of insulin.
The Franciscans have been celebrating Mass by candlelight, since there is no electricity or water supply in the church complex, Fides reports. The candlelight around the altar at the Grotto of the Nativity is now reportedly making that the only part of the church that is consistently bathed in light.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell met with Father Giovanni Battistelli, the head of the Franciscan Custody in the Holy Land, on Sunday. Father Battistelli asked for US intervention to relieve the "unbearable" situation in Bethlehem.
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15. april 2002