Pan down from church ceiling to service |
| 00:00 |
Man in white shirt with chains | MATT BROWN: In this little church in Bethlehem in the Palestinian West Bank, the worshippers engage in a slightly macabre ritual. They say these chains held a saint while he was tortured. He became a Christian martyr, a Patron Saint of Palestine and of many countries and cities in Europe. | 00:17 |
Bethlehem shots |
| 00:41 |
| MATT BROWN: This is the town where Mary and Joseph came to seek shelter. Where Christians say God sent his only son to earth, and the wise men came to marvel at the birth of Jesus. | 00:44 |
Church mural with St. George | But the pilgrims of Bethlehem also have a very special place in their hearts for someone else. | 01:02 |
| He's the man on the horse who slayed the dragon. Around here St George is seen as a home grown hero, and faith in him is forging some very unlikely friendships. | 01:07 |
| Music | 01:19 |
People singing in church | Singing | 01:25 |
| MATT BROWN: Anyone here will tell you that St George was a Palestinian. His mother lived on the site of this church and George was a soldier in the Roman Empire. | 01:30 |
St George paintings | We all know that he rode to the rescue to save a damsel. But he's a saint because, as a Christian he refused an order to persecute Christians and he was executed. | 01:42 |
Children light candles | There's plenty of faith to go around in the Holy Land. | 01:57 |
Woman puts chains around boy | So the veneration of St George wouldn't be unusual, except for one thing, the faithful. You see, | 02:00 |
Muslim woman in front of icon of St. George | Muslims believe in this Christian saint, too. It's a devotion that surprised Father Serjio, when he first arrived. | 02:09 |
Father Serjio puts key in baby's mouth | FATHER SERJIO: I noticed that the Muslims that usually come here, have deep faith in St. George. | 02:18 |
Father Serjio | More than the Christians. | 02:27 |
Icon of St. George | MATT BROWN: They call him Al Khader, the Green. | 02:33 |
| Through the ages, Muslims have made their way to Bethlehem to pay their respects. | 02:36 |
Woman with chains | OLD WOMAN: We love Al Khader deeply, and people, since long ago, used to come here to the church from Syria and Egypt and Lebanon to sacrifice sheep and goats, and offer them to the poor in the name of Al Khader | 02:43 |
Woman | because they are convinced that he will always with them. | 03:00 |
Hmidan family with Koran | MATT BROWN: The Hmidan family are devout Muslims. They live their lives according to the Koran. They don't believe Jesus was the son of God. | 03:08 |
Hmidan family in church | But they do believe in St George, the saviour. | 03:19 |
Ahmad Hmidan | Ahmad was just ten days old at the start of the second Palestinian uprising. When his family was caught up in an Israeli tear gas attack Ahmad almost died and he lost the ability to speak. Then after years of despair he was taken to Al Khader Church. | 03:26 |
Father Serjio puts key in Ahmad's mouth | As Ahmad's mother tells it, Father Serjio's predecessor came through, with the key to a miracle cure. AHMAD'S MOTHER: The priest used to give him some candy because he was frightened following his treatment | 03:45 |
| and when the priest put the key in his mouth Ahmad spoke his first word. He said "give me" because he wanted a candy from the priest! | 03:59 |
| His first word was with the help of God and the priest. | 04:08 |
Muslim population in Bethlehem | MATT BROWN: Bethlehem's Muslim population is growing as it's Christian community dwindles. There are tensions between the two groups. But this shared belief in St George, Al Khader, the green, still unites the faiths. | 04:22 |
Woman | OLD WOMAN: I like Christians and appreciate them a lot. | 04:37 |
Man in white shirt | MAN IN WHITE SHIRT: We are together, we live together there isn't any difference between us, just the religion. | 04:40 |
Father Kallitsis in crypt | MATT BROWN: A softly spoken, Australian born priest, Fr. Sofronios Kallitsis is the guardian of St George's crypt. | 04:49 |
| There's a piece of St George's body, housed in this tomb of stone, but Father Kallitsis says St George still walks the Earth. FATHER KALLITSIS: People gain faith and gain | 04:58 |
Father Kallitsis | power from his miracles. People have actually seen him. | 05:11 |
St George icon | It's not something usual to see these two religions come every day closer and closer and it is because of St George this is happening. | 04:18 |
Woman enters church and picks up candle | MATT BROWN: In this ancient corner of Bethlehem, the so called clash of civilisations seems to have been kept at bay. | 05:32 |
| FATHER SERJIO: The message that is written in the Holy Bible and Holy Koran | 05:40 |
Father Serjio | is a message of peace, a peace for all the world to live in peace. | 05:48 |
| MATT BROWN: They say it's been this way for centuries, we can only hope that it lasts. | 05:59 |
Credits: | Reporter: Matt Brown Camera: Brant Cumming Editor: Scott Monro Producer: Trevor Bormann | 06:08 |