MIDDLE EAST
“The Christians of the Lebanon have a need for our solidarity”, said Johannes Friedrich, Evangelical Bishop of Munich, and Catholic Bishop Hans-Jochen Jaschke, Auxiliary Bishop of Hamburg, who appealed on behalf of Lebanese Christians in Beirut in recent days. Friedrich and Jaschke are heading a joint delegation of the Evangelical Church (EKD) and German Bishops’ Conference (DBK), which is visiting the Churches of Lebanon and Egypt from 23 to 29 June. The journey is intended to be a sign of solidarity with the Christians of these countries, as well as a signal of dialogue with Islam. The representatives of the two Churches pointed out that the Christians in Lebanon “continue to be subjected to great pressure. Many are leaving the country. Political developments remain uncertain”. The visit of the bishops has aroused great interest both in the local Churches and in the Islamic communities and has been regarded as a sign of encouragement and reinforcement of the will for peace between the two faiths. Friedrich and Jasdchke underlined this attitude of reconciliation in their talks with Sunni and Shiite representatives: “There is no alternative to dialogue between the religions. We expressly ask for the condemnation of any form of violence perpetrated in the name of religion. Freedom of religion and of faith represents an essential prerequisite condition for interfaith dialogue”.
