The initiative, sponsored by the Jerusalem Municipality, aims to dispel some of the tension hanging over the city these days.
US President Donald Trump visited the church in the mid-afternoon, and the area around it was cordoned off to the public.
“We provide security for all those traveling to the Old City and Bethlehem, including for the thousands of Christian Palestinians, to ensure they have access.”
"The Holy Land is safe. We need to convey that to the world," says bishop.
An amazing story of a priest's religious dedication in WWII Italy.
Across Jerusalem, despite the recent wave of terrorism which claimed the lives of two men near Jaffa Gate on Wednesday, Christmas is being celebrated in a variety of ways.
The lawmakers also wished Father Gabriel Nadaf luck and thanked him for his work to bring more Israeli Christians in the IDF.
A cheerful Santa Claus walks back and forth on the Old City's walls, calling on Christian residents to come pick out a tree.
Father Kelly of the Notre Dame Center explains that coming to Israel for Christmas "is a great conformation of the faith narrative.”