Loud and clear

On January 15, an appeal Calling for the end to Violence in the Holy Land concluded the visit to the Holy Land of the bishops of the Coordination of Episcopal Conferences in Support of the Church of the Holy Land commenced January 10. In the final document the prelates reiterate, “there can be no peace unless people believe in peace. There can be no security and justice unless there is security for all. There can be no justice unless there is justice for everyone in this land”. “Faith gives us hope that justice, peace and forgiveness are possible”. The 9 bishops that signed the statement, from Scandinavia, France, Spain, Canada, U.S. Germany, England and Ireland said to the world leaders, “work with Israelis and Palestinians to stop the violence in Gaza and provide urgently needed humanitarian assistance. But do not stop there. With one voice press Israelis and Palestinians to build a just peace with security for Israel and a viable state for Palestinians”. During the visit, followed by SIR Europe correspondent Daniele Rocchi, the Coordination met with local Christian communities, with people living in Gaza and addressed, among others, the issue of visas to the religious and relations between Israel and the Holy See. The person at the centre. “In order to achieve peace, the human person and human dignity – and not force – must gain renewed centrality. This is the primary objective”, Msgr. William Kenney, auxiliary bishop of Birmingham and representative of the Commission of Bishops Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) told SIR. Msgr. Kenney co-presented the final communiqué of the Coordination of the Episcopal Conferences of North America and the EU. A clear reference was made to the conflict in Gaza, which the message focuses on. “I was impressed by the population’s feelings. Almost all of them have friends and relatives living in Gaza. They are most concerned”, the bishop explained. “Everyone is aware that nothing can be done for relatives and friends, and that they are helpless before the ongoing conflict”. Kenney believes that the achievement of peace lies in the recovery “of an element shared by all three monotheistic religions: every man and woman was created to the image and likeness of God. If this were rediscovered nobody would raise the sword against his own brothers”. The COMECE representative reiterated the EU’s possible contribution to peace that was defined as the largest living peace project” that for this very reason will never be alien to a front-line commitment in favor of peace in the Middle East and not only between Israelis and Palestinians”. On its part – he concluded – COMECE will always grant its spiritual and material support to the Church in Jerusalem, to the local communities and to the whole population through the promotion of solidarity projects, by pressuring the governments of their own Countries and encouraging pilgrimages”. Why only now? This was the question raised by the Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal concerning the – far too late – diplomatic efforts aimed at stopping the massacre in Gaza. “We are witnessing diplomatic efforts aimed at solving the conflict in Gaza. It took three weeks during which people died, including women and children that are unrelated to Hamas and Israel, marked by terror, casualties and destruction. Why?” During the presentation of the final communiqué of the Coordination of Episcopal Conferences of North America and of the European Union Twal pointed out: “we hear many words spoken by politicians visiting the region, many statements, many promises. But none of these statements are followed through or implemented. We are very sad and we suffer for this”. “I appreciate the Coordination of the bishops for their spiritual and material closeness testified by the visits to the Holy Land – he added – that show that we are all part of the Universal Church. I ask the Coordination to remain close to us with prayers, with the promotion of projects such as adoptions, twinnings, exchange and cooperation. But mostly with pilgrimages: I encourage world faithful to visit the Holy Land, there is no danger. 2008 was a wonderful year, we celebrated Christmas like we hadn’t for years, attended by numerous faithful from all over the world and there is hope that 2009 will be even better. This is a way to convey our support to the brothers in Gaza, that is distant from the Holy Places but that is in everybody’s hearts. Those who wish to convey their love for this Country – he concluded – must do so by taking a part of the burden of the Cross of Christ that these local communities daily carry on their own shoulders”.