ecumenism" "
A firm condemnation of the acts of violence that are causing further bloodshed in the Holy Land and an appeal to Israelis and Palestinians to take “seriously” the rule of international law and respect for human dignity: that was the immediate reaction of the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams to the suicide attack in the centre of Jerusalem that recently caused the death of 10 people. The attack points out a statement put out by the Anglican Communion was launched following Wednesday’s clashes in the Gaza strip that caused the death of 8 Palestinians. Williams happened to be in Jerusalem for a pastoral visit (from 25 to 30 January) at the time. “I deplore said the archbishop the loss of further human lives in communities in which so much blood has already been spilled. My visit has strengthened my conviction that violence and terrorism lead nowhere and contribute nothing to the search for a better future for the peoples of a region for which we continue to work and pray”. In the course of his pastoral visit, Williams met Palestinian and Israeli politicians and religious representatives of the region, and urged the need to take a “new road”. “Only if the communities who live in the Holy Land said the archbishop wish to begin to be truly civil societies, where the rule of international law and respect for human dignity are taken absolutely seriously, will there be any chance of a growth towards a brotherhood in which the presence of God can be visible”.
