Cardinal Timothy Dolan on Sunday described how he was forced to take shelter in Bethlehem during Iran’s attack on Israel — hours before meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank.
“This Sunday in Bethlehem all does seem calm and bright. And it is for us. We feel safe and secure. That wasn’t true in the middle of last night when the air raid sirens went off, and we had to go down and seek security at Notre Dame Center.” the New York cardinal said in a video shared on X, referencing the Christmas song “Silent Night.”
“But right now things look good, and we’re grateful for that,” he added.
He later met with Abbas in the presidential headquarters in Ramallah, about 6 miles north of Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.
During their meeting, Abbas told the cardinal that he appreciated the Church’s “positions calling for stopping the Israeli aggression and achieving peace and stability in the Holy Lands and the world,” the outlet said.
Dolan, in return, reportedly conveyed the pope’s greetings and praised Abbas’s “role and wise leadership in enabling the Palestinian people to obtain their legitimate rights supported by the Catholic Church,” according to WAFA.
Dolan is set to remain in Israel and Palestinian-controlled territories through Thursday as part of his role as chair of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, according to an earlier press release.
He is meeting with local Christian, Jewish and Islamic religious leaders — as well as hopefully spending time with the families of hostages, the statement said.
Catch up on the latest news of Iran’s attack on Israel
- How Israel defeated 99% of Iran missiles and drones — with the help of US and an unlikely ally
- Oil prices expected to rise after Iran attack on Israel
- ‘Biden is weak’: President draws fire for muted response to Iran attack on Israel
- 7-year-old Arab girl is only known casualty of Iran attack
- Biden tells Netanyahu US will not engage in counteroffensive against Iran, calls Saturday a win for Israel: report
Dolan also noted in his statement that he’ll “enjoy a Sabbath meal with Jewish friends and visit with Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups.”
His visit comes as Iran launched a slew of deadly drones at Israel on Saturday evening that killed a 7-year-old Bedouin girl.
The move comes in retaliation after the Jewish state killed top Iranian generals in a strike on Lebanon on April 1.
In Sunday’s video, Dolan notes before the attack Saturday night that he visited the Creche — a center in Bethlehem run by nuns who take in abandoned babies.
“Those are messages of inspiration that you get here in the Holy Land that I think have given the people the resilience and hope for which they are famous. Happy Sunday,” Dolan said, concluding the video.
Additional reporting by Steve Janoski
