The archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has urged Christians throughout the world to make efforts to visit Bethlehem as a place of pilgrimage and to remember the suffering population of the city in their prayers. In a letter to the Mayor of Bethlehem, Victor Batarseh, the archbishop expresses his concerns about the situation of Christians in the area. “I am aware of the severe hardship which many are suffering; the decline of tourism, the difficulties of access and movement and the struggle to sustain the economic and social life of the city. I am distressed to hear that the current situation has prompted so many families, especially Christians, to leave the city and seek security and stability elsewhere. I have raised these concerns directly with the Israeli authorities”. The archbishop therefore urges Christians throughout the world to visit the city if they can and “to pray for the people of Bethlehem that they may not be forgotten”.
