Palestinian Christians missed out on archbishop of Canterbury's tour

Christian communities disappointed Justin Welby did not visit them during first trip to Holy Land since taking office

Harriet Sherwood in Jerusalem

 

 

 

The archbishop of Canterbury tours Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Photograph: Hazem Bader/AFP/Getty Images

Palestinian Christians have expressed disappointment that the archbishop of Canterbury did not visit their beleaguered communities to offer solidarity on his first trip to the Holy Land since taking office.

Justin Welby, the head of the Anglican church worldwide, travelled across the imposing separation wall between Jerusalem and the West Bank on Thursday to open an Anglican medical centre in Ramallah. But his three-day schedule did not include a visit to Bethlehem and its surrounding villages, where Christian families have suffered severe economic hardship as a result of the barrier, and many have left the Holy Land.

"Palestinian Christians would have expected a close interest from one of the most important Christian figures in the world," said Xavier Abu Eid, a Palestinian official. "Christianity was born in Palestine, and the followers of Jesus Christ are suffering. These people expected something more."

Hanan Ashrawi, a veteran Palestinian politician and an Anglican, said the archbishop should have "reached out to Palestinian Christians. He should meet people and talk to them to see the impact of occupation and confiscation [of land]."

One of the main aims of Welby's visit was to show solidarity with Christian communities in the region, according to his office. However, his schedule did not permit a visit to the Bethlehem area, it added.
Christian families in the village of Beit Jala, near Bethlehem, have been waging a legal campaign against the route of the wall, which threatens to divide people from their land and cut off the monks of the Cremisan monastery from the local community.

The head of the Catholic church in England, the archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, has been vocal in his support of the people of Beit Jala and has criticised Israeli land appropriation. The UK government has also taken up the case.

"Christians in Palestine don't even know [Welby] is here," said one Beit Jala campaigner. "He has made no effort to go to the heart of the issues concerning Christians here."

More than 80% of Beit Jala's population is Christian, but overall the number of Palestinian Christians has shrunk to about 2% of the population of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.

Speaking in Jerusalem on Thursday, Welby addressed the issue of the persecution of Christians in the Middle East. "I've had a lot of experience of working in areas where there's been killing of Christians. I've stood by mass graves of Christians ... while their killers were still watching," he said. But the right response was to heed Jesus's command to "love our enemies". He added: "It's the hardest thing we can ever say to people, an indescribable challenge."In an address to Christian leaders on Wednesday, Welby said Jerusalem must remain an open city, with Christians, Muslims and Jews having full access to its holy sites.

The ancient city was, he said, "the centre of the world in so many ways. The centre of three great faiths, the centre of much of the news that we hear; the centre in both good ways and bad ways. It is essential that Jerusalem remains an open city, with full access to the religious sites which are holy to three faiths."

His comments came shortly before the US secretary of state, John Kerry, arrived in the Holy Land for his fifth visit in a mission to bring Israel and the Palestinians back to talks in the hope of agreeing a settlement to their decades-long conflict.

The future of Jerusalem is a key element in any peace agreement. Israel, which captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day war, and later annexed it in a move not recognised by the international community, claims the entire city as its indivisible capital. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.
Later, Welby told reporters that Kerry deserved "every blessing" for his efforts to restart peace talks. "I'm not possibly qualified to talk of the chances of success. Anyone seeking to put together a settlement in this area, we must wish them God speed and every blessing. But I don't think anyone has any illusions about the complexity of the task he's undertaking."

The archbishop emphasised his "very clear emotions and feeling that the State of Israel is a legitimate state... and has a right to exist in security and peace within internationally agreed boundaries". However, the same right applied to all people in the region "without exception", he added.

Welby, whose father's Jewish family fled to the UK more than 100 years ago to escape anti-semitism in Germany, visited Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial, with his wife, Caroline, and son Peter.

"This is not a place for words, it's a place for tears and a place for learning and remembering, and I think the fewer words the better," he said. Later, he described it as an "extraordinarily personal and emotional moment".

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/27/palestinian-christians-acrchbishop-canterbury

US Bishops commend President Obama for leadership in peace process

Below is an excerpt from  the letter of June 25, 2013, signed by

Timothy Cardinal Dolan

Archbishop of New York

President,

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 

and

Most Reverend Richard E. Pates

Bishop of Des Moines

Chair,

Committee on International

Justice and Peace

to President Barack Obama

...We write today to commend you for traveling to

the Holy Land in March, and for charging Secretary

of State John Kerry with the urgent task of bringing th

e parties to the negotiating ta

ble. We are aware of his

tireless efforts, affirm the vision of

a two-state solution, and promise our

support for this U.S. initiative for

peace.

We know that many consider the conf

lict intractable, but we believe th

at peace is possible. We share

the Easter prayer of Pope Francis: “Peace for the

Middle East, and particular

ly between Israelis and

Palestinians, who struggle to find the

road of agreement, that they ma

y willingly and courageously resume

negotiations to end a conflict that has

lasted all too long.” We urge pers

istent U.S. leadership and promise

our untiring support and encouragement. 

Source with full text of the letter: http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/war-and-peace/nuclear-weapons/upload/Dolan-Pates-Obama-June-25-2013.pdf

US Bishops Urging Syrian Ceasefire

 Ask Secretary of State Kerry to Work With Other Governments

The bishops overseeing international peace and relief efforts for the Church in the US urged Secretary of State John Kerry to work with other governments to obtain a ceasefire in Syria, initiate negotiations and provide humanitarian assistance, all in an effort to build "an inclusive society in Syria that protects the rights of all its citizens, including Christians and other minorities."

Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, and Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson, Arizona, sent a letter to Kerry on Wednesday.

Bishop Pates is chairman of the bishops' Committee on International Justice and Peace. Bishop Kicanas is chairman of the board of Catholic Relief Services, the bishops' international humanitarian agency.

"The Syrian people urgently need a political solution that ends the fighting and creates a future for all Syrians, one that respects human rights and religious freedom," wrote Bishop Pates and Bishop Kicanas. The bishops cited the appeals for peace in Syria made by Pope Francis on Easter Sunday and in his June 15 message to the G8 Summit.

The bishops noted the reported use of chemical weapons, the United Nations estimate of more than 93,000 deaths, the displacement of millions from their homes and the kidnapping of two Orthodox archbishops on a mission of mercy as urgent reasons for a negotiated ceasefire and political solution.

The full text of the bishops' letter is available online: http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/global-issues/middle-east/syria/upload/2013-06-Letter-to-Sec-Kerry-on-Syria.pdf

Source: http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/us-bishops-urging-syrian-ceasefire?utm_campaign=dailyhtml&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dispatch

Protest to the closure measures at Jaffa Gate

JERUSALEM – Please find below the communique of the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, who raise their voices in protest to the closure measures that are taken by the Israeli Police at Jaffa Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem.

 

We, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, raise our voices in protest against the closure measures being taken by the Israeli Police at Jaffa Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Every year, we write to the authorities to express our frustration with the frequent closure of Jaffa Gate, which is the only access to our Patriarchates, Churches and Convents. Instead of finding solutions to these interruptions that cause great inconvenience and disruption, the situation has gone from bad to worse.

The latest incidents we encountered took place during the “Festival of Lights” when many of our priests, including some of us (the leaders of the Churches) were unable to drive through Jaffa Gate to our homes and Churches. We were held for more than an hour at the Gate waiting to be allowed in.

This is most unacceptable for us, for the pilgrims and all residents of our neighborhood!

We call upon the municipality and police to find practical ways to ensure constant and uninterrupted access through Jaffa Gate, especially, that there are more than forty days that various events take place outside Jaffa Gate during the year.

We hope that this will find listening ears and decisive actions, so that these folkloric and creative events will not negatively affect the life and ministry of our Churches. Thank you for your understanding and forthcoming cooperation in this matter.

The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem

Source: http://en.lpj.org/2013/06/17/protest-to-the-closure-measures-at-jaffa-gate/

Priest in Homs Details Syrian Horror

Gives Account of 'Many Explosions' in the Last Week

 London, June 14, 2013 (Zenit.org)

A priest working in the devastated city of Homs in Syria has given an account of some of the horror he's facing every day.

The priest, who cannot be named, sent a report to the charity Aid to the Church in Need, which is supporting Syrians with an aid package of £25,450 (€30,000) for a center in Homs, on top of £42,450 (€50,000) given last year.

The report details the priest's struggle to provide basic food, shelter and medicine to more than 30,000 people fleeing violence amid ongoing bomb blasts and other violence.

He goes on to give an account of the “many explosions” of the past week in his quarter of Homs, one of which took place very near to his church.

The car bomb left 11 people dead, of whom five were his parishioners.

An earlier explosion caused the death of a 10-year-old boy from the Catholic community centre next to his church. Three other children were injured.

In his report, the priest pays tribute to a Jesuit priest and 74 other Christians living in a “siege[–like] manner” in Homs' ancient Old City, where many historic churches, mosques and other buildings lie in ruins after fierce fighting.

Facing a shortage of food and medicine, the Jesuit and his flock rely on aid parcels being sent to them.
Describing life for the Jesuit and his people, the priest writes that people continue to cling to hope in spite of the difficulties.

He said: “We have a great hope. Churches still ring bells for prayers and all people come and share Mass.”

Quoting Pope Francis, he writes: “Nobody can steal our hope and joyfulness.”

Final Statement From Arab Christian Media Conference

 At the Service of Justice, Peace and Human Rights

Rome, June 13, 2013 (Zenit.org) | 298 hits

Here is the final statement from a conference on Arab Christian Media, held this week in Jordan.


The Catholic Center for Studies and Media in Jordan in cooperation with the Pontifical Council for Social Communications in the Vatican held their first joint conference in Amman from 10-11 June 2013, under the patronage of His Beatitude Patriarch Fuad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem . Present at the conference were, the Minister of State for Media and Communications H.E. Dr. Mohammad Momani and H. E. Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, the President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.
The Conference title was: "the Arab Christian Media at the Service of Justice, Peace and Human Rights".

The conference was attended by Christian and Muslim clergymen, media professionals and others. Speakers at the conference were the Patron Patriarch Fuad Twal, Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, , Father Rifat Bader the Director General of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media, H. E. the Minister of State for Media and Communications and H. E. Mr. Faisal Akef Al Fayez the Former Prime Minister.

The Catholic Cener for Studies and Media announced that it will present the Centre's shield, starting this year, to two intellectual figures. This year, Dr. Isam Sakhnini from Petra University received the Shield in appreciation for his book: "The Genocide Against Christians in Najran 523 and in Jerusalem 614" as well as Artist and Comedian Mr. Mousa Hijazine in appreciation for his contribution in the domain  of political theatre and freedom of expression.

At the end of the conference, the organizers agreed on the following:

1. To send a cable of greetings and respect to His Majesty King Abdullah bin Al Hussein on the occasion of his Accession to the Throne, the Army's and Great Arab Revolution Day, which coincided with this conference.

2. The conference underscores the leading and essential role played by the all kinds of media. The conference agreed on the need to promote the work of media to serve the values of justice, peace and human rights through focusing on what unites people not what sets them apart. The conference concluded that media should aim at spreading harmony and peace among people.

3. The conference underscored the leading role religious media plays today; religious media can serve religion through exploring its true identity but also can destroy and use religion to serve political and other interests.

4. The conference highlights the importance the Arab Christian Media role in serving Arab, human and international causes. Arab Christian media is not a closed one; it puts itself at the service of human causes like justice, peace, respect of and defending if necessary the rights of humans.

5. Media outlets provide a space for communication with Churches, on the ecumenical level,  and also with Muslims, with whom we share the bitter present as well as the past and destiny. The conference stressed the importance of supporting positive dialogue initiatives through the various types of media.

6. The conference calls for more cooperation between the Pontifical Council for Social Communications in the Vatican and the Catholic Centre for Studies and Media in Jordan. The conference calls for continuing their cooperation in publishing books and publications that call for the proper usage of media outlets and the profession's ethics, and place such knowledge in the hands of the younger generations to bring about knowledge,  goodness and love. The conference encourages media professionals to be, as Pope Francis has said in his first meeting with media personnel on 16 March 2013: "Witnesses for the Truth, Beauty and Goodness".

7. The conference called at the closing ceremony for justice, peace and respect for human rights in the Arab region and for stopping violence on the part of all feuding parties in more than one Arab country. The conference praises the humanitarian role played by the Government of Jordan in hosting Syrian refugees from Iraq and Syria. The conference calls for the release of The Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Aleppo Yohanna Ibrahim and his Greek Orthodox counterpart Boulos Yazaji.

8. The conference “wishes the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan continued Progress, Dialogue and Fraternity” (Cf. Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, speech at the inauguration ceremony of the American University of Madaba, Jordan , 30\5\2013),  and hopes Jordan remains a safe haven for national unity and co-living between all of its citizens without any discrimination.

9. The conference thanks all speakers who enriched the conference with their thoughts that expressed appreciation to the Arab Christian media and to all other media outlets that uphold human dignity.
Amman – Jordan

Source: http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/final-statement-from-arab-christian-media-conference?utm_campaign=dailyhtml&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dispatch

‘Price tag’ attack at Christian cemetery in Jaffa

Posted on Jun 13, 2013

http://en.lpj.org/2013/06/13/price-tag-attack-at-christian-cemetery-in-jaffa/ 

 

 

AFP - Attackers desecrated graves in an Arab Christian cemetery in Jaffa and damaged property nearby, in an incident that bore the hallmarks of a “price tag” hate crime, police said on Thursday.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said that headstones in the Orthodox Christian graveyard in Jaffa, a mixed Arab-Jewish area in southern Tel Aviv, were sprayed with Hebrew graffiti and the tyres of five vehicles parked nearby were slashed.

“Apparently the incident took place overnight,” he told AFP, saying the attackers had daubed “price tag” and revenge” at the site.

“Price tag” is the term given extremist hate crimes which generally target Arabs.

Initially carried out against Palestinians in retaliation for state moves to dismantle unauthorised settler outposts, such attacks have become a much broader phenomenon unrelated to any anti-settlement moves.
They tend to involve the vandalism or destruction of property and have included arson attacks on cars, mosques and olive trees.

Two weeks ago anti-Christian graffiti was daubed on the Church of the Dormition, one of Jerusalem’s leading pilgrimage sites.

Police said they suspected Jewish religious extremists of spraying the Hebrew-language insults at the site, where tradition says the Virgin Mary died.