Bishops in solidarity with Holy Land's "suffering and vulnerable"
(Vatican Radio) Bishops from across Europe and North America this week will be visiting
Syrian refugees in Jordan along with other suffering and vulnerable people and communities
in the Holy Land. In a press release, the Holy Land Co-ordination reports:
The
13th meeting of the Coordination of Episcopal Conferences in Support of
the Church of the Holy Land and the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land
takes place from 5-10 January. The delegation will meet in Bethlehem, visit Jordan
and then concluding the annual pastoral visit in Jerusalem. Delegates will be
updated about the current situation in the Holy Land from His Beatitude Patriarch
Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and from the Apostolic Nuncio, Mgr Giuseppe
Lazzarotto. There will be contributions from representatives of different Christian
organisations and those who work with refugees, prisoners, Philippine workers and
other vulnerable people. In addition to prayer and the daily celebration of Mass
there will also be meetings with the local communities and Catholic prelates from
different rites, students from Bethlehem University, representatives of civil society
and with the local authorities. The visit will end on 10 January in Jerusalem
with a celebration of Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre followed by a news
conference for all media. The delegation is organised by the Catholic Bishops’
Conference of England and Wales, with a mandate from the Holy See to offer support
to the Christian Churches and communities of the Holy Land. It is made up of Catholic
Bishops from across Europe and North America and Catholic organisations and agencies
who join together with the Association of Catholic Ordinaries in the Holy Land for
an annual meeting every January. The Holy Land Co-ordination’s purpose has often
been expressed as prayer, pilgrimage and persuasion. The Bishops also hope their presence
reminds the “living stones” of the Christian communities in the Holy Land that they
are not forgotten to their brothers and sisters in other parts of the world. The Bishops
do not seek privileges for Christians, but dignity and justice for them and others
in similar situations. This year’s Holy Land Co-ordination include the following
bishops: Archbishop Joan-Enric Vives – Spain Archbishop Richard Smith – Canada
Bishop Declan Lang – England and Wales Bishop Gerald Kicanas – USA Bishop
Stephan Ackermann – Germany Bishop Michel Dubost – France Bishop William Kenney
– England and Wales Bishop Peter Bürcher – Iceland