Editing Church of the Nativity (section)

===Church of St. Catherine===
The adjoining [[Church of Saint Catherine, Bethlehem|Church of St. Catherine]] is a [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] church dedicated to [[Catherine of Alexandria]], built in a more modern [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic Revival]] style. It has been further modernized according to the liturgical trends which followed [[Second Vatican Council|Vatican II]].

This is the church where the [[Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem]] celebrates Midnight Mass on [[Christmas Eve]]. Certain customs in this Midnight Mass predate Vatican II, but must be maintained because the ''[[Status quo (Holy Land sites)|Status Quo]]'' was legally fixed by a [[firman (decree)]] in 1852 under the [[Ottoman Empire]], which is still in force today.

The [[bas-relief]] of the [[Tree of Jesse]] is a {{convert|3.75 by 4|m|ftin}} sculpture by [[Czesław Dźwigaj]] which was recently incorporated into the Church of St. Catherine as a gift of [[Pope Benedict XVI]] during his [[List of journeys of Pope Benedict XVI#Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian Territories (8–15 May 2009)|trip to the Holy Land in 2009]]. It represents an [[olive tree]] as the [[Tree of Jesse]], displaying the [[genealogy of Jesus]] from [[Abraham]] through Joseph, as well as symbolism from the [[Old Testament]]. The upper portion is dominated by a crowned figure of [[Christ the King]] in an open-armed pose blessing the Earth. It is situated along the passage used by pilgrims making their way to the Grotto of the Nativity.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dziennikpolski24.pl/Artykul.100+M5d4c87a1956.0.html |title=Płaskorzeźba w dare |work=Dziennik Polski |date=13 May 2009 |access-date=15 May 2009 |language=pl |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426201217/http://www.dziennikpolski24.pl/Artykul.100%2BM5d4c87a1956.0.html |archive-date=26 April 2015}}</ref>