São Paulo – A BRL 792,000 (USD 252,400) donation from Brazil to Palestine to be used in the renovation of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, presented as provisional measure 819/2018, issued by the Presidency, was approved by a Brazilian Congress joint commission. According to Agência Senado, the project will now be presented for discussion on the floor of both the House and the Senate.
Located in Bethlehem, Palestine, the Church of the Nativity is being renovated, with the donation period ending this year. Among the countries that placed donations are Germany, Belgium, Chile, Spain, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Morocco, Poland, Russia, Turkey and the Vatican – plus Palestine itself, with an investment that is up to USD 2.7 million.
The Christian tradition identifies the place as the birthplace of Jesus and, in 2012, it was inscribed on the World Heritage List and also on the List of World Heritage in Danger of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), due to its precarious conditions. The Brazilian donation, which will come from the budget of Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will be used to renovate four of the 50 stone columns of the Church’s nave.
Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
