Intervention of Mons. Elias CHACOUR, Archbishop of Akka, Acre, Ptolemaid of the Greek-Melkites (ISRAEL)

They decided to survive and to continue their very special mission, following the orders of their Compatriot, the Man from Galilee, Jesus from Nazareth. My Compatriot, My Champion and my Parishioner.
Luke 24/45-49 Acts 1/4-5 and very specially Mark 16/15 “Fear not little flock go in to all the world and preach the good news to all creation”. Since then, my ancestors, started spreading around and everywhere the exciting news revolving around an empty tomb and a RISEN MAN. We never stopped preaching this exciting news. That is why Peter and Paul were sacrificed and killed here in Rome.
During the twenty past centuries our Christians from the Holy Land were like condemned and privileged to share oppression, persecution and suffering with Christ. He is risen but his cross is still high in our sky. Our Christianity is still hanging on that terrible cross. They still live under daily threats from officials who dream continuing the transfer of our minority, away from their lands, their homes, away from their ancestral homeland. If it was not for Him, the cross would have been damned and hated.
Centuries long are gone loaded with our sufferings and our persecutions.
But today our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI called the Catholic Church and all Christians of good will to divert their sight and to turn around, towards the remnant of the family of Christ. We come over here to invite you all to reconsider your priorities regarding the Holy Lands, and regarding its inhabitants. For sure the shrines and the Holy Places are. important. The Franciscan brothers have been keen and loyal custodians and protectors of the Holy Places.
Being the archbishop of the largest Catholic Church in the Holy Land, the Melkite Catholic Church, I insistently invite you and plead with the Holy Father to give even more attention to the Living stones of the Holy land. Once more, attention is given despite our unworthiness and undeservedly, we could restore the smile of hope on the faces of our children. We then can have the tools and the means to. We are in Galilee since immemorial times. Now we are in Israel. We want to stay where we are, we need your friendship more than your money.

[00024-02.06] [IN002] [Original text: English]