Ecumenical conference on the Holy Land

(July 16, 2011) The Anglican archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams and the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols are to host an international conference on the Holy Land next week, aimed at raising awareness of the plight of Christians there. The conference, to be held on Monday and Tuesday at Lambeth Palace in London, includes Anglican and Catholic bishops from many different countries, together with Jewish and Muslim delegates who will stress the vital role that Christians continue to play in the land where Christ was born. The head of Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Cardinal Jean Louis Tauran will be representing the Holy See at the conference, while the delegation of Christian leaders from Jerusalem will be headed by Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal and Anglican bishop Suheil Dawani. In this context we highlight a small but growing ecumentical charity, known as Friends of the Holy Land, which provides very practical and personal support to Christians in Jerusalem and elsewhere around Israel and the Palestinian territories. Set up in 2009, the charity funds many small scale projects but also serves as an important link between parishes in Christian Europe and Churches in the Holy Land itself, an important source of moral support for Christian communities surrounded by their majority Jewish or Muslim neighbours Projects currently being supported by Friends of the Holy Land include hiring local craftsmen to renovate the dilapidated homes of vulnerable people, and establishing and running a day care centre for elderly widows in Bethlehem. Future projects will include supporting new small businesses to provide employment opportunities in areas such as olive wood carvings, and the production of soap and wax candles.Dr Michael Whelan is founder and national UK chairman of Friends of the Holy Land. He also serves on the general council of another charitable organization, the Equestrian Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre that dates back centuries to the days of the crusades