Message to Europe

Insecurity, injustice and instability triggered by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; migration and the surging violence in certain sectors of Israeli society along with a growing number of pilgrims, and living churches, committed in the promotion of ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, along with Catholic bodies’ humanitarian initiatives for the local communities. These are the lights and the shadows of the Holy Land that emerged during the pastoral visit to Jerusalem (January 7-12) of the Coordination of the bishops of North America and the EU for the Holy Land, (HLC). The Coordination, set up on the request of the Holy See, has held annual meetings in the Holy Land with the aim of supporting and encouraging local Christians, since it was set up in 1998. Msgr. Duarta da Cunha, General Secretary of the Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE) participated in the visit with the bishops from Canada, United States, France, Spain, Italy, Great Britain, Scandinavian Countries and Germany. Msgr. da Cunha provided a balance of the meeting in an interview with Daniele Rocchi for SIR Europe.What have been your impressions at the end of the visit? “In my opinion the most evident feature here in the Holy Land is the lack of hope in the near future. Despite the hope that stems from theological faith, through which we know that God will mend all conflicts, there is also the feeling that things have come to a standstill. There has been no progress in the respective positions. There ensues the idea that the situation leaves no margin for a solution that would provide the solace of peace to this land and to these people”.Over the past few days you had the opportunity of meeting and speaking with many local Christians …“Christians suffer more than others for this situation of uncertainty, given the overwhelming Muslim and Jewish majority. However, the Church is relentless in preaching hope and reconciliation, bearing concrete witness to the words of Jesus. The themes addressed during the meeting, such as housing emergency, surging acts of violence by the settlers, military occupation, are all lacking solutions in the short-run. This fact steps up widespread frustration, including the frustration of the Christian population. And that’s why many of them decide to emigrate”.HLC’s presence in Jerusalem is aimed at supporting them. How? “For Christians it’s important not to feel abandoned. Our visit here is intended as an important token of closeness and solidarity. It was perceivable in the parishes of Nablus, in the Gaza Strip, in the Syro-Catholic community of Jerusalem. They all implored: ‘don’t leave us alone'”. Participants also discussed about pilgrimages as a means to show vicinity …“Pilgrimages must include the encounter with the living stones of the Holy Land: we need them to understand what is happening here, for greater closeness with the Eastern Churches, and they need them as they draw spiritual and material vicinity from us. Pilgrimages also lead to peace-inducing conversions and friendships. It is necessary to acknowledge the ongoing situation here in first person, going beyond the propaganda of both sides”.Does this mean that pilgrimage cannot be separated from concrete witness, carried out after having returned home? “By coming here we have an important task: we have to translate, convey, and report to our churches, to our people and to the media, and most important, to our Governments, what is happening here. The solution will be near when those responsible for this situation of injustice will be aware that world countries and populations are closely following the developments in the Holy Land. Nobody wants to be considered an unjust person by the rest of the world. Without justice, the Pope reminds us, there is no peace, and without charity and love it cannot be long-lasting”.What is the significance of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem as a CCEE member? “The presence of Fouad Twal in the CCEE as permanent representative of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem is a clear sign of the importance given by European episcopacies to the developments in this Land whilst remaining close to its local Church. A mutual exchange will bear fruits in time. Information is important and useful especially if it is accompanied by the logic of truth and knowledge in order to prevent confusion and distortions”.From this perspective of sharing what can the Christians of the Holy Land offer to secularized Europe? “Middle-Eastern Christians can bring strong messages to our secularized Europe. The primary, significant message is the experience of the faith here in the Holy Land, which is a community experience, a dimension that is lacking in Europe where Enlightenment downsized the faith dimension to an individualistic form of expression. The experience of an existential faith is at the same time dramatic, and it involve us. Europe has a lot to learn from Christians in the Middle East”.