Jerusalem`s Latin Patriarch blasts Gaza blockade in pre-Christmas message

The Holy Land's top Roman Catholic cleric has lashed out at Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip and is calling on Palestinians to heal their political rift in his first pre-Christmas message.

Jerusalem's Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal has also expressed concern about the Holy Land's Christian communities, saying their presence is threatened by emigration and political instability.

The Archbishop is the second Palestinian to hold this position following predecessor Michel Sabbah, who was an outspoken critic of violence.

Twal said Tuesday "We are awaiting a manifestation of the Savior's grace that will put an end to the occupation and the injustice, delivering us from those fears, hardships and internal divisions that beset this land."

The Palestinian Christian population in the Holy Land is less than 2 percent of the people in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem. That's down from an estimated 15 percent in 1950.