Denver, Colo., Feb 7, 2018 / 15:00 pm
While the transition of the American embassy to Jerusalem has exacerbated regional tension in recent months, the number of Christian pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land has increased.
Last month 770 registered pilgrimage groups, some 26,000 people, visited Jerusalem, while 529 groups visited in the same time period last year, and 390 visited in January 2016. The statistics were recently released by Israel's Christian Information Center,
A priest who recently took a group of young adults to the Holy Land told CNA that the pilgrimage was peaceful, and seemed to be unaffected by political tensions.
"The experience for everyone was very peaceful. You don't necessarily experience any conflict in the environment," said Father Daniel Cardo, pastor of Holy Name Church in Englewood, CO.