. MARCH 2013 BACK ISSUE by Jim Hollander Franciscan monks sing prayers during a short candle-lit mass in the 'Grotto' of the Church of the Nativity on December 17, 2012.  The Franciscans take part in this procession from the Church of Saint Catherine into the Grotto of the Church of the Nativity at noon each day. They usually allow some devote faithful to take part in the candle procession and service, but they must stand in line on the opposite side.They leave through a small door at the rear and take a route back into St. Catherine's, stopping to pray again along the way. A group of visiting Christian tourists gather in the central nave of the Church of the Nativity, 17 December 2012. The church is one of the oldest in the world.  Pilgrims, tourists and Christian faithful flock to the town where Jesus was born in the lead up to the festivities during Christmas. In an unusually quiet moment a Christian woman has her photograph taken as she sits before the niche in the 'Grotto,' or cave in the Church of the Nativity, where a silver star marks the traditionally accepted birthplace of Jesus Christ, 17, 2012. A small room to the right is considered the 'Manger' where Mary placed the Baby Jesus soon after delivering the child. Foreign visitors walking through Manger Square with its decorated Christmas tree and the Church of the Nativity in the background.  December 18, 2012. A pilgrim with her infant child beneath an oil painting of the Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus as they visit the 'Grotto,' where Christians believe the Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ, in the Church of the Nativity, 21 December 2012. Local shop owners complained about a drop of pilgrims and visitors for this years Christmas celebrations and blamed the recent cross border violence between Israel and the Gaza Strip for the decrease in guests. A group of visiting Christian tourists from Nigeria wait between the large columns in the central nave of the Church of the Nativity as Greek Orthodox clergy hold a procession around the ancient basilica, revering the Virgin Mary who gave birth to Jesus Christ in the grotto of the church.  This procession takes place almost every day and those tourists and pilgrims who happen to be waiting in line to view the spot where Jesu was born, get an extra treat to see the procession. A couple embracing in the central nave of the Church of the Nativity, December 2012,  as tourists and pilgrims line up between the rows of columns, right, to view the place of Jesus' birth, in the Grotto,or cave, under the Greek Orthodox altar, at rear. A visiting Franciscan monks kneels as he takes a video of an area between the rows of columns in aisles of the nave of the Church of the Nativity, 18 December 2012. The church is one of the oldest in the world and pilgrims, tourists and Christian faithful flock to the town where Jesus was born in the lead up to the Christmas festivities. A Christian woman from Nigeria places her fingers into a stone column, as another Nigerian pilgrim practices how he will insert his fingers into the holes worn into the marble over thousands of years, in the Church of the Nativity, December 21, 2012. Greek Orthodox clergy wait for the arrival of the Roman Catholic Christmas eve procession, December 24, 2012,  as a pilgrim prays against a one of the 44 large red limestone columns in the central nave of the Church of the Nativity. Christian pilgrims trying to get their arms around a large red limestone column in the aisle of the central nave of the Church of the Nativity, in Bethlehem, December 23, 2012. Christian visitors waiting to descend into the 'Grotto,' or cave, on December 23, 2012, where Christians believe the Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ. They were stopped from entering the Grotto while clergy took part in a short service at the place where Jesus was born. A six-month-old Palestinian baby boy named Fadi is shown off inside the central nave of the Church of the Nativity on Christmas Eve, 24 December 2012, as faithful flock to the site of Jesus' birth during Christmas celebrations. Christian pilgrims and clergy at prayer under the oil paintings of the Virgin Mary with the Baby Jesus in the 'Grotto,' or cave of the Nativity, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, as they celebrate Christmas eve on December 24, 2012. Back to current issue