Twittering to God

The Pope leaves a prayer at Jerusalem's Western Wall.
The Pope leaves a prayer at Jerusalem's Western Wall. (photo: CNS/Reuters)

Reuters reports, “An Israeli university student has opened a Twitter site, twitter.com/thekotel, where prayers can be sent for placement in the crevices of Jerusalem’s Western Wall, a Jewish holy site that faithful believe provides a direct line to the Almighty.”

Tel Aviv resident Alon Nir has been flooded with responses from people taking him up on his offer to relay their “tweets” to God. Reuters reported that he has placed 1,000 rolled-up pieces of paper, containing prayers sent to him via Twitter, at the Western Wall.

Nir may be the first to route prayers to the Western Wall via Twitter, but Reuters notes, “Several services deliver prayers sent by e-mail, text message or fax to the wall. Israeli postal authorities say prayers also arrive from overseas by regular mail, some in envelopes addressed ‘Dear God.’”

During his Holy Land visit this year,  Pope Benedict prayed May 12 at the Western Wall and left a prayer there.

Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne attends a German Synodal Way assembly on March 9, 2023.

Four German Bishops Resist Push to Install Permanent ‘Synodal Council’

Given the Vatican’s repeated interventions against the German process, the bishops said they would instead look to the Synod of Bishops in Rome. Meanwhile, on Monday, German diocesan bishops approved the statutes for a synodal committee; and there are reports that the synodal committee will meet again in June.

Palestinian Christians celebrate Easter Sunday Mass at Holy Family Church in Gaza City on March 31, amid the ongoing battles Israel and the Hamas militant group.

People Explain ‘Why I Go to Mass’

‘Why go to Mass on Sundays? It is not enough to answer that it is a precept of the Church. … We Christians need to participate in Sunday Mass because only with the grace of Jesus, with his living presence in us and among us, can we put into practice his commandment, and thus be his credible witnesses.’ —Pope Francis