Bishops call for leaders of hope to save Holy Land crisis
Jan 16, 2014: The Bishops conclude their 5-day annual pilgrimage on Thursday. In
a Statement of the Co-ordination of Bishops’ Conferences in support of the Church
in the Holy Land, the Bishops said “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.
Meanwhile, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal told the visiting delegation
of Catholic bishops that their pilgrimage to the Holy Land helps the local Church
not to feel abandoned or forgotten by the international community.