gathered in January 2012, the people in this region
have lived through dark and dramatic events: conflict
in Gaza and southern Israel; civil war in Syria, which
has resulted in huge numbers of refugees pouring
into other countries and putting an enormous strain
on their resources; and increasing polarisation
within Israel and Palestine. These developments
have caused profound anxiety for all in this region,
for the Israelis, Palestinians, Jews, Muslims, and
particularly for the dwindling Christian population.
This year we met Christian communities in Gaza,
Bethlehem, Beit Jala, Madaba and Zarqa. In the
Cremisan Valley we heard about legal struggles
to protect local people’s lands and religious
institutions from the encroachment of the Security
Barrier (“the wall”). We promise to continue urging
our respective governments to act to prevent this
injustice. We heard moving testimony from religious
women involved in the care of migrant workers,
trafficked persons and prisoners.
Our faith was enriched by the strength and
fortitude of the people we met: those with whom
we shared in a vibrant celebration of Mass in Zarqa
in Jordan; those who care for the vulnerable, like
the refugees from Syria and Iraq fleeing terror and
violence; those struggling in the face of oppression
and insecurity across the countries that make up the
Holy Land. We are inspired to promote a just peace
and call upon Christian communities in our home
countries and people of goodwill everywhere to
support the work undertaken in this region to build
a better future. Good examples are two agencies
we visited: Catholic Relief Services in Gaza and the
Caritas refugee programme in Jordan.
We are also called to recognise and tell others
how faith in God brings light into the lives of people
in the Holy Land. One of the ways in which this happens
is the Church’s commitment to education, a
tangible investment in the future. Nowhere is this
more evident than in the University of Bethlehem,
where we were struck by the stories from students,
and the American University of Madaba in Jordan.
In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI called upon staff and
students in the region to be builders of a just
and peaceful society composed of peoples of
various religious and ethnic backgrounds.
With the local Bishops, we encourage practical
support for the vulnerable, the formation of young
people and every effort for the promotion of peace.
We encourage Christians to come on pilgrimage to
the Holy Land where they will experience the same
warm hospitality we received. We shall work hard to
persuade our respective governments to recognise
the root causes of suffering in this land and to step
up their efforts for a just peace. We echo the call
Pope Benedict made recently in his speech to the
Holy See’s diplomatic corps: “Following Palestine’s
recognition as a non-member observer state of the
United Nations, I again express the hope that, with
the support of the international community, Israelis
and Palestinians will commit themselves to peaceful
co-existence within the framework of two sovereign
states, where respect for justice and the legitimate
aspirations of the two peoples will be preserved
and guaranteed. Jerusalem, become what your
name signifies! A city of peace, not one of division”.
In the words of one of the Psalms, which we
prayed together each day: “for the peace of
Jerusalem pray” (Psalm 122, v.6).
Signatories to the Final communiqué:
Archbishop Richard Smith – Edmonton, Canada
Archbishop Joan-Enric Vives – Urgell and Andorra,
Spain
Bishop Gerald Kicanas – Tucson, USA
Bishop Stephan Ackermann – Trier, Germany
Bishop Michel Dubost – Evry, France
Bishop William Kenney – ComECE Representative
Bishop Peter Bürcher – Reykjavik,Nordic Bishops’
Conference
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