Bishop Crean greets a student from Bethlehem University
Holy Land Co-ordination completes visit in support of local Church and the cause of peace
- “Gaza is a man-made disaster, a shocking scandal, an injustice that cries out to the human community for a resolution. We call upon political leaders to improve the humanitarian situation of the people in Gaza, assuring access to the basic necessities
- for a dignified human life, the possibilities for economic development, and freedom of movement…. We pray that the visit of Pope Francis to the Holy Land will reinforce hope in the region.” – Bishops
- Delegation includes Bishop William Crean, Bishop of Cloyne, Bishop Denis Nulty, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin and Mr Éamonn Meehan, Executive Director, Trócaire
Background to the visit to the Holy Land:
The Christian community of Gaza was the focal point of this year’s visit to the Holy Land by Bishops from across Europe, North America and South Africa in support of the local Christian communities and the pastoral work of the Church at the service of all in the Holy Land. (Please see full statement below).
The visiting Bishops make up the Holy Land Co-ordination, mandated by the Holy See, focusing on prayer, pilgrimage and advocacy for justice and peace with the aim of acting in solidarity with the Christian community there and sharing in the pastoral life of the local Church as it experiences intense political and socio-economic pressure. This year it met from 12 January to 16 January, 2014.
The Christian community of Gaza is made up of around 2,500 Christians, of whom Catholics number just under 200, out of a total population of over 1.5 million. After celebrating mass with the Holy Family parish in Gaza and meeting the parishioners, the Bishops met with Religious Sisters and Christian agencies, visiting projects for the disabled and deaf and vocational training of young people. They also offered their support to the Christian schools and hospitals at the service of all in Gaza.
Time and again, the Bishops were thanked for their visit to Gaza as the people urged Christians across the world not to forget them, to pray for them and support them however they could.
In their final communique, (see below) the Bishops, called for an urgent resolution to the situation, describing Gaza as a man-made disaster.
“Gaza is… a shocking scandal, an injustice that cries out to the human community for a resolution. We call upon political leaders to improve the humanitarian situation of the people in Gaza, assuring access to the basic necessities for a dignified human life, the possibilities for economic development, and freedom of movement”.
Following the two day visit to Gaza, the Bishops met with representatives of Israeli civil society in Tel Aviv before going on to Bethlehem, Ramallah and Jerusalem. There they heard from senior Palestinian negotiators on the peace process before meeting with students from Bethlehem University. There they listened to the young people’s experiences of day-day life in this divided land, following the encouragement of the Mayor of Bethlehem to all Christians to come on pilgrimage and meet Christian families, “the living stones” of the Holy Land.
On Wednesday 15 January, the Bishops visited Schmidt School in Jerusalem, which educates Palestinian girls, and heard about projects focusing on youth empowerment. They also visited the Cremisan Valley where the planned route of an Israeli security wall threatens the land and livelihoods of 58 Christian families based in the Bethlehem area. Families who will lose their land as a direct result of this wall, called for urgent intervention with building scheduled to start imminently. Their testimony brought home the fragility of their continued presence in the Holy Land and the urgency of their pleas for international support.
Following meetings with His Beatitude Patriarch Fouad Twal and the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto, Mass was celebrated for the Golden Anniversary of Catholic Relief Services.
The Holy Land Co-ordination concluded with a visit to the Armenian Patriarchate, following prayers and Mass.
Statement of the Co-ordination of Bishops’ Conferences in support of the Church in the Holy Land
As bishops from Europe, South Africa and North America we came to the Holy Land to pray with and support the Christian community and the cause of peace. In Gaza we witnessed the deep poverty of the people, and the courageous presence of the small and vulnerable Christian communities there.
Gaza is a man-made disaster, a shocking scandal, an injustice that cries out to the human community for a resolution. We call upon political leaders to improve the humanitarian situation of the people in Gaza, assuring access to the basic necessities for a dignified human life, the possibilities for economic development, and freedom of movement.
In the seemingly hopeless situation of Gaza, we met people of hope. We were encouraged by our visit to tiny Christian communities, which day after day, through many institutions, reach out with compassion to the poorest of the poor, both Muslim and Christian. We continue to pray for and support the priests, religious and laypeople working in Gaza. They exercise a ministry of presence, care for disabled children and the elderly, and teach the young.
Their testimony of faith, hope and love gave us hope. This is precisely the hope needed at this moment to bring peace, a peace that can only be built on justice and equity for both peoples. Palestinians and Israelis desperately need this peace. For example, in the Cremisan valley the route of the security barrier threatens the agricultural land held for generations by 58 Christian families. The current peace talks come at a critical time. Now is the time to ensure that the aspirations for justice of both sides are fulfilled.
We urge public officials to become leaders of hope, not people of obstruction. We call upon them to listen to the words of Pope Francis, who recently said to the Diplomatic Corps: “The resumption of peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians is a positive sign, and I express my hope that both parties will resolve, with the support of the international community, to take courageous decisions aimed at finding a just and lasting solution to a conflict which urgently needs to end” (13 JANUARY, 2014).
As we leave the Holy Land, the bishops and people of the local Church remain in our hearts. They are not alone. Together with them we are people of hope. We pray that the visit of Pope Francis to the Holy Land will reinforce hope in the region. We believe a lasting peace is possible.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
The Co-ordination of Bishops’ Conferences in support of the Church in the Holy Land was formed in 1998 at the request of the Holy See. It is more simply called the Holy Land Co-ordination. Each year they come at the invitation of the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land. The Holy Land Co-ordination focuses on prayer, pilgrimage and advocacy with the aim of acting in solidarity with the local Christian community and sharing in the life of the Church as it experiences intense political and socio-economic pressures. The Bishops who took part in this year’s Holy Land Co-ordination were:
Archbishop Stephen Brislin, South Africa
Bishop Pierre Burcher, Scandinavia
Bishop William Crean, Ireland
Bishop Michel Dubost, France
Archbishop Paul-Andre Durocher, Canada
Archbishop Patrick Kelly, England and Wales
Bishop William Kenney, England and Wales
Bishop Declan Lang, England and Wales (chair of the Holy Land Co-ordination)
Bishop Denis Nulty, Ireland
Bishop Richard Pates, United States of America
Bishop Thomas Renz, Germany
Bishop Janusz Stepnowski, Poland
Archbishop Joan Enric Vives, Spain
For media contact: Catholic Communications Office Maynooth: Martin Long 00353 (0) 86 172 7678 and Brenda Drumm 00353 (0) 87 310 4444
