News, articles and documents from
the Holy Land
Issue No. 123 - Tuesday, 18 December 2001
Dear Friends, Brothers
and Sisters,
Yesterday,
all the heads of the churches of Jerusalem went to Ramallah in a solidarity
visit to President Yaser Arafat in order to present him the congratulations on
the occasion of Eid Alfitr (the end of Ramadan). I noticed that the president
was quit in a very good shape and very cordial with everybody. It seems that he
feels stronger when he is surrounded by people especially the religious leaders,
even if he is actually surrounded by the Israeli tanks, 300 meters from his
residence. When we arrived, another group composed from the higher Islamic Council
in Jerusalem was there fro the same purpose, therefore we met together, and it
was very beautiful to see both Christian and Moslem leaders in the same hall
for the same purpose. It represented the National unity inside the Palestinian
society, because we really feel that we belong to this land and this people as
Arabs, Palestinians and Christians at the same time. This is very important in
this particular time because we can give a very real and tangible example to
the world that religions could and should be symbols of brotherhood and unity
among all human beings.
The
meeting which lasted around one hour was very frank and cordial in which short
speeches were exchanged, ab abondantia cordis, which expressed the same desire
for freedom, peace and justice, end of occupation and wished that this same
meeting will take place next year in Jerusalem at Al-Aqsa mosque.
Our Patriarch Michel Sabbah will
hold his annual press conference before Christmas, Next Thursday, December 20,
2001 at 10.30 a.m. at the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem during which he will
publish his annual Christmas message and announce a new initiative for the end
of this year and answer your questions. All interested journalists and press
agencies are cordially invited to take part in it.
You will find in
the in today’s Olive Branch the following important documents:
1) The Christmas
Message 2001 by their Beatitudes the Patriarchs and all the Heads
of
the Christian Churches in Jerusalem. It is a very strong and articulated
message which is addressed not only to the local Christians but also to the international
community.
2)
Letter from Pax Christi International to the EU Presidency on the subject of
Israel & Palestine. You see that Pax Christi, whose International president
is our Patriarch, is advocating for peace and justice in the holy Land. We
thank them for this commitment and we hope that their voice will be heard also.
3) In his LETTER
FROM BETHLEHEM (9), Toine van Teeffelen is trying to tell us some funny, sad
and tragic stories about checkpoints which is of course the most obvious place
of humiliation.
4) Sister Mary
in her Jerusalem Journal # 39 wanted to draw this year’s Christmas face in
Bethlehem.
5) Dr Harry Hagopian in his article about “The Future of Christians in the Holy
Land” summarizes the speech of our Latin Patriarch in his opening presentation
in Rome and adds his personal impressions. It might help those who didn’t read
the French speech of the Patriarch that I send you previously.
We are one week
away from Christmas, time became very close and busy, therefore, I appreciate
if you will be able to have a look on what I send you, and I admire your
patience.
Accept my best
wishes of a wonderful season of peace and joy. Fr.
Raed Abusahlia
Christmas
Message 2001
By their Beatitudes the Patriarchs and all the
Heads
of
the Christian Churches in Jerusalem
“So then brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions you were taught... and may Our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts”. (2Thess 2,15-17)
Dear Sisters and Brothers in
Jesus Christ,
In the name
of Our Lord Jesus Christ we greet all of you in this Holy Land. We wish you all
a Blessed Christmas and hope that this solemnity will bring us justice and
peace. We pray and ask God to grant this precious gift to our troubled Land, to
our suffering people and to all the inhabitants in their determined effort
towards a just and lasting peace.
We approach the Divine Infant’s manger deeply conscious of the sufferings many of you have been called to endure, in these past months and are still enduring, whether through bereavement, injury, unemployment or a multitude of cares and anxieties. Time and again, hope has been raised only to be smashed by daily events. All around us, we still see violence as well as injustice. We observe total disregard for the dignity and worth of human kind as well as injustices and humiliation. All of this we deplore. All of which we believe is contrary to the will of God and the teaching of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
In recent
weeks we have attempted to play our modest part in trying to encourage the
resumption of serious peace negotiations; to draw the world’s attention to the
suffering and hardships faced by so many in this Land and to safeguard the
dignity of the Holy Places, now and especially in the future status of
Jerusalem, as well as the rights of the Christian communities and churches
around them.
Today we
renew our appeal to the political Leaders in this Holy Land to stop all kind of
violence. So let us start a new era of justice and peace that sees both the
Palestinian and Israeli peoples, within recognized borders, enjoying safety and
tranquility. We launch also an urgent appeal to the International Community to
have enough courage to take the right decisions and implement them and so help
our peoples to work on their fulfillment.
Dear Sisters and
Brothers,
We have
called you and all World Churches to pray for the establishment of justice and
peace. You responded to our call and so we prayed together and we asked God to
have mercy on his Holy City and all its inhabitants. A few weeks ago, we asked
you to join us in our “Solidarity Convoy for Peace” to Bethlehem on the
occasion of the hard times that Bethlehem and Christ’s manger had to pass
through. Again you answered our invitation and we walked to demonstrate our
will of peace built on justice and truth according to the angels’ song over
Bethlehem.
Now, as the
Holy Season of Christmas approaches we would encourage everyone of you to stand
firm in faith and rooted in your land with the fullness of Christmas joy in
your hearts, as we tell you with Saint Paul: “Stand firm and hold to the
traditions you were taught” (2Thes 2,15). We believe God gave us so much when
He gave us Jesus, born in Bethlehem’s stable. As the Holy Child grew into
manhood and on through his Ministry he revealed to us so much that was in the
Father’s heart: “No one has ever seen God; it is the only Son who is close
to the Father’s heart who has made him known” (Jn 1, 18), and he taught us
how to see God’s will through what happens around us. Therefore, through our
history full of death, destruction and injustice, we can still see God’s love
for us and for his human children. His love strengthens us and renews our hope,
so we persevere in our search for peace and justice. For this reason, despite
all the sufferings and sorrows around us we must celebrate with joy this
Christmas. We must pray too, that there will be found, on earth, men and women
of goodwill, who will listen to the message of the Angels at our Savior’s
Birth: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom
he is well pleased” (Lk 2,14), and work for God’s peace especially in this
Holy Land. We must also take great care to direct our children, many of whom
have been traumatized by the experience of the past days, towards God’s love
and care for them so helping them towards a personal relationship to our Father
in heaven and to love all their neighbors, through the Infant Jesus in his
manger who was born to save all of humanity.
From
Bethlehem, the city of the Nativity of Our Lord, we greet our Churches and all
our friends across the world and ask that in the midst of their prayers and
celebrations they might remember their brothers and sisters with their many
needs here in this Holy Land. We also call all our children to accompany their
prayers with charity and awareness of the others’ needs. We shall pray as well
for the dear pilgrims and tell them that the Holy Land is in urgent need to see
strong and courageous pilgrims come and witness through their presence, their
faith and prayer to its sanctity and message of peace.
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
We all
shall gather around the manger, in Bethlehem but also in our cities and all
other localities and shall sing again the songs of love and hope whilst
renewing our belief that our Land will some day enjoy justice and peace. May
the eyes and hearts of many open to see that injustice should make place for
justice and freedom to all. For this we shall pray as we shall pray for our
Authorities and for the two peoples to understand that they can live together
in peace and that they are called to build together the new society that God
wants for the land He has blessed. May Almighty God hear and answer our prayer
so that this Land and its entire people may know his love, joy, justice and
peace!
May the Lord grant you all a Blessed Christmas and every hope for the New Year, and may God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit bless you!
+ Ireneus, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of
Jerusalem
+ Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of
Jerusalem
+ Torkom Manoogian, Armenian Orthodox
Patriarch of Jerusalem
Fr. Giovanni Battistelli, o.f.m., Custos
of the Holy Land
+ Anba Abraham, Coptic Archbishop of
Jerusalem
+ Swerios Malki Murad, Syrian Orthodox
Archbishop of Jerusalem
+ Aba Cuostos, Ethiopian Archbishop of
Jerusalem
+ Paul Sayyah, Maronite Archbishop in the
Holy Land
+ Riah Abu El Assal, Anglican Bishop in
Jerusalem
+ Munib Younan, Bishop of the Lutheran
Church in Jerusalem
Archim. Mtanios Haddad, Greek Melkite
Catholic Patriarchal Vicar in Jerusalem
Msgr George Makhzoum, Armenian Catholic
Patriarchal Vicar in Jerusalem
Fr. Elias Tabban, for the Syrian Catholic
Patriarchal Vicariate in Jerusalem
Letter from Pax Christi
International to the EU Presidency
on the subject of Israel
& Palestine
To Prime Minister Guy
Verhofstadt
President of the Council of the European Union
Wetstraat 16 - 1000 Brussels
Reference: 656PLE Brussels, 18 December 2001
Fax: 02/512.69.53
-511.50.21
Dear Prime Minister,
In two weeks time,
you will end your term as President of the Council of the European Union. Pax Christi, the
international Catholic peace movement, greatly appreciates that the Belgian
Presidency continues to have the conflict in the Middle East as a priority on
its agenda. Nevertheless, the situation is dramatically deteriorating and
urgently requires further effective initiatives to be taken by the European
Union.
Pax Christi International unequivocally
condemns all the violent acts in Israel and Palestine that have taken place
over the last weeks. We deeply mourn the many innocent lives lost and extend
our condolences to family and friends of the victims. We reject as inexcusable
all attacks against innocent civilians.
The urgent
quest for an end to the violence between the Israelis and Palestinians requires
that leaders stop the terror or other violent acts against innocent civilians
by those under their command and refrain from acts of force and retaliation.
Neither victory nor security can be gained through violence in whatever form.
Only a path of negotiations, in conformity with international law will lead to
a just and lasting peace.
Pax Christi
International shares the position held by the Presidency of the European Union
in its statement of 4 December 2001, that “destabilising the Palestinian
Authority would not help stop the cycle of violence. On the contrary, the
Palestinian Authority should be helped to assume all of its responsibilities
under the agreements it has signed.” The Laeken Summit confirmed this position.
The International Catholic Peace Movement calls upon the European Union to urge the US government and the UN to take immediate steps to stop the violence and military actions from whichever side. Pax Christi stands by its position that both parties should go back to negotiating based on the framework of international law and all the relevant UN resolutions and Geneva Conventions. The core of the question is the Israeli military occupation of Palestine and the Palestinian claims for their freedom and land. It is now more crucial than ever that the EU takes all possible initiatives to bring Israeli and Palestinian leaders to an immediate ceasefire and unconditional resumption of negotiations. In this connection, we welcome the decision of the Laeken Summit to give to Javier Solana, the High Representative of the EU, the task to contact all partners concerned, especially the USA and Israel, to make possible an impartial monitoring mechanism on the ground. We urge you as President of the Council of the EU to take immediate steps in this respect given the emergency of the situation.
Pax Christi International has some direct partners
in the Holy Land. Our organisation maintains close contact and enjoys positive
relationships with peace and human rights organisations in both the Israeli and
the Palestinian community. Our movement will continue to monitor the daily
situation in Israel – Palestine.
Yours
Sincerely,
Etienne De Jonghe
International Secretary
LETTER FROM BETHLEHEM
(9)
By Toine van Teeffelen
The latest
outrage at the Bethlehem/Jerusalem checkpoint was the talk in town. Students of
Bethlehem University, on their way from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, were summoned
to get out of the bus. Some of them were forced to dance on the street. Others
were asked whether they liked Sharon or Arafat. “Sharon, if you like to hear
that” responded one, “As long as you go out of the way.”
The checkpoint
is of course the most obvious place of humiliation. During the Fridays of
Ramadan, long queues of people were waiting in front of the soldiers who took
their time to interrogate people who did not have the required permits. During
rain, people had to tiptoe over some unstable stones in the narrow entrance
corridor to avoid the water on the ground. On my way to a meeting at the
ecumenical center of Tantur next to the checkpoint, I observed the soldiers
routinely entering the private terrain to chase workers who enter Jerusalem
illegally. An old acquaintance, a professional photographer, is currently
making a photo series of the checkpoint area, staying there from early morning
till mid-day. He has seen everything, he says. People caught at Tantur and
sitting on the pavement, the
informal economy around the checkpoint (wherever you have long queues, children
inevitably walk along the cars to sell articles), taxi drivers without work,
would-be laborers who succeed to pass the checkpoint but then do not find
labour, and so on. The soldiers were not too difficult towards him, he said.
When they warned him to stop taking pictures, he already had done his work. I
suggested him to have a photo exhibition of checkpoints in Palestine. It would
tell the story.
These days,
there are more foreigners observing the checkpoint. Some Swedish young women,
accompanying medical transports or ambulances, stood for some hours at the
Bethlehem checkpoint together with my colleague Louis who always wears his
tenue with the phrase “civilian observer”
on it in English, Arabic and Hebrew. His mission receives favourable
reactions, with an incidental sceptical remark. I have the feeling that
everybody in downtown Bethlehem knows him, not in the last place due to his
height and long white beard. At the end of this week he will dress himself as
St Nicholas and together with other observers and a clown is going to visit the
Maternity Hospital in Bethlehem to distribute chocolate letters to the children
there.
Here I have to
correct a statement made in a previous letter; namely, that internationals because
of the language difficulties are unable to relate to checkpoint soldiers. As
was pointed out by one experienced activist, a group of international women
presently takes position at the Bethlehem checkpoint following the model of the
Israeli “Mahsum [checkpoint] Watch.” They too, it seems, are able to have a
certain moderating influence on the soldiers’ behaviour although they are
obliged to take position at the other side of the road, at a distance of some
tens of meters from where the checking takes place.
*
* *
Of course the
moderating influence is only up to a point. During the recent invasion of
Bethlehem, the local churches organized a march through the checkpoint. In
front of the local and international media the Israeli soldiers let the demonstrators
pass without a problem but it took little time before the checkpoint was closed
again and shooting and shelling started.
In the current
month, several marches are planned that are designed to challenge checkpoints.
Rapprochement center in Beit Sahour organizes their annual procession on
Christmas Day but this time has extended the itinerary to include Jerusalem. I
myself am involved in preparations of another march on December 31, led by the
heads of churches, Moslem leaders, and institutions from the Bethlehem area.
(One slogan: “now and NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM). The march leads through the
checkpoint to Mar Elias just beyond the checkpoint from where the demonstrators
will be transported to the New Gate. There they will walk to Lion’s Gate, conduct
prayers at Al-Aqsa or St Anne and form a human chain around the walls of the
Old City. A big practical issue right now is to find enough buses for transport
in Jerusalem. Palestinian tour operators and bus companies have sold many buses
due to the strict closure. The bad economy affects everyone.
It is
heartwarming to receive, after an appeal of Pax Christi International, many
well-intended wishes and prayers at the Institute. During the march, they will
be attached to balloons and, as a sign of freedom, released into the air during
the prayers.
*
* *
Mary announces
that she wants to postpone her upcoming birthday until “liberation comes.” I
don’t agree. She just conducted an interview with an Irish journalist who was
interested to know how a pregnant Palestinian woman in Bethlehem feels these
days, apparently with the purpose of making a comparison between the present
and Bethlehem 2000 years ago. Mary felt that the interviewer almost wanted her
to express a need to flee the country, but she refused to succumb to the
demands of the comparison.
*
* *
Jara jumps over
the lampposts near our house that still lay on the ground like broken matches.
They are silent reminders of the tanks that ran through the streets only just a
few weeks ago. “ As-sha’ab Al- Arabi Ween?” [Where is the Arab people],
she sings in the street, eliciting laughther from passers by. She very much
likes to join the march to Jerusalem - but only on papa’s shoulders.
Jerusalem
Journal # 39
Sister Mary
December 16, 2001
Last year many of the Christians in the Holy Land felt unable to celebrate Christmas as they normally did. There was the shock of too much suffering; how could they enter into the festive season when so many had lost their jobs, so many knew neighbors in their towns who were injured or even dead, and so many were unable to travel to visit family? As a result many Christians did not even put up Christmas decorations. Perhaps they were just too traumatized by the events of deaths, curfews, closures, roadblocks and the total upset of their normal lives.
This year it is
a bit different, but still the abnormal has hopefully not become normal. Many
Christians have decided to express their faith in the celebration of Christmas.
They have decided that they need Christmas to help nurture their faith by
restating, that even in this difficult period of their history, they need to
celebrate that the Word did become flesh and dwelt among their ancestors here
in this land. This year I have seen Christmas decorations in homes and
offices; this year more people in Jerusalem seem to be reaching out to bring
some joy into their own lives and the lives of others.
The Christmas
carol service at St. John's Eye Hospital in East Jerusalem was held Dec. 14th.
just as it has always been for years; and a young girl, dressed as Santa Lucia,
graced the darkened room with candles on her head, the only other lights coming
from a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Carols were in Arabic, English and
Norwegian. Then, the following evening, there was a benefit dinner for
Bethlehem University at the American Colony hotel...and an international
English speaking "Friends of the University group" was established.
The university was badly damaged during the Israeli invasion last October. Soon
some members of the English speaking Catholic community which gathers on
Saturday evenings for a Mass in English will soon be traveling to the orphanage
in Bethlehem, bringing Christmas gifts for the children there.
I do not
know if the people of Bethlehem are going to be able to celebrate. There
will be a Midnight Mass in Bethlehem, but during Christmas day it is feared
that even foreigners will not be allowed entry into the town...though at
present they are able to enter.
The wait and see aspect of Advent has more than one meaning here in the land of Jesus' birth.
The Future
of Christians in the Holy Land
Dr Harry Hagopian, KSL-KOG
17-Dec-01
Unfortunately, we find ourselves meeting in a moment which I do
not hesitate to call 'dramatic', both for the peoples who live in those dear
regions, and for our brethren in the Faith, who seem crushed by the weight of
two diverse extremisms which, independently from the reasons that fuel them,
are disfiguring the face of the Holy Land. (HH John-Paul II - 13 December
2001).
* Introduction
Earlier this week, a significant pastoral meeting took place at
the Holy See in Rome. Based upon a personal invitation from Pope John-Paul II,
many of the Heads of the Catholic Churches in Jerusalem as well as the
Apostolic Delegate assembled at the Vatican and focused their deliberations on the
future of the Christian communities in the Holy Land at a time of challenge,
dissension and strife.
One main speaker at this unique gathering was HB Michel Sabbah,
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, who reflected on the reality of the situation for
Christians in the Holy Land ever since 28 September 2000. This is the date when
the second Palestinian Intifada or uprising erupted - one that continues to
date.
What I will attempt to achieve today is to highlight the thoughts
that were encapsulated by the Latin Patriarch in his opening presentation and
then simply graft my brief impressions as a function of my own experiences as
an Armenian Christian from Jerusalem who has struggled for many years with some
of those issues.
* The Overall Situation
The Christian population within the occupied territories today
counts no more than 2% of an overall three million Palestinians living in a
biblical land that has for long been raddled with conflicts. The large majority
of those Christians are Palestinians, and their fate is linked inextricably
with that of other Palestinians.
The ambition of those Christians remains one of peace with
justice. Although this struggle is going today through a most difficult and
spasmodic episode, one must acknowledge that the essence of the problem is the
Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. So long as this occupation persists,
the cycles of violence cannot go into full recession. It is up to the occupier
to put an end to this uncertainty by opting for the difficult yet equitable
decision of returning the occupied territories to its owners and thereby
granting them their freedom.
The Christian Dimension of the Conflict
This political conflict between Israelis and Palestinians has a
Christian dimension to it too. After all, when one refers to this
conflict, one also talks about the future survival of the Christian communities
as much as about the future of those holy sites central to the Christian faith.
As such, one cannot separate those communities from the conflict itself just as
one cannot but note with sadness the deleterious social and economic impacts
this conflict has visited upon them as a result of the repressive measures
adopted by Israel.
Christian-Muslim Relations
There is much confusion - and far too much media sensationalism -
about those inter-faith relations. However, one can assert with some confidence
that those relations are by and large positive on the political, religious and
institutional levels. Where they stumble at times is at the level of the street
when fanaticism as well as hotheadedness pre-empt studied responses to certain
crises. Many Palestinians - Christians as much as Muslims - are aware of their
responsibility at state-building during this period. And those who do not
subscribe to this sense of solidarity manifest their unease by a growing fear
of the neighbour - the 'other'.
Relations with Israel
The first hub is those Palestinians living within the pre-1967
borders of Israel. Here, relations betwixt Church and State are founded
on mutual respect. In Israel, therefore, where Christians number around 120,000
men and women, they are bound by three loyalties - loyalty to their faith as
Christians, loyalty to their patrimony as Arabs and loyalty to Israel as
citizens.
This hub of triple loyalties founders nonetheless in the post-1967 territories
where the relationship is based on an occupier and an occupied living in an
unequal symbiosis. There is an injustice in this situation that is a source of
constant tension. The Church cannot condone or overlook such injustices.
However, even those tensions are not an indication of a total breakdown of
communication between Church and State. After all, Christians believe that all
men and women are born in the image and likeness of God and are therefore the
object of love and respect even when there is disagreement over the cause or
effect of their unjust actions.
* Christian Emigration
Although emigration from the Holy Land affects Muslims, Christians
and Jews, it is a fact that the small numerical presence of Christians reflects
more volubly - and critically - this outbound trend.
The pre-dominant factors for emigration remain economic and
social, although there are religious and personal reasons too. In future, the
numbers of Christians in Palestine and Israel will remain around 150,000 to
170,000 -although the percentage of 2% might go down in view of the demographic
changes within the overall society.
But how can one stem this tide? Is it possible for the
Churches to provide those structures that ensure the continuing local Christian
presence and witness in this land? A two-pronged approach becomes
necessary.
On the one hand, it is imperative to reinforce in the collective
Christian conscience the conviction that it is their calling to be Christians
in the Holy Land - in times of peace as much as war. This means that
local Christians should realise that their vocation calls them to remain on
their land, to co-exist with their Palestinian Muslim counterparts and to
import into society the witness of Christian hope that is inherent to their
faith.
On the other hand, they should adopt a pro-active strategy for
peace and justice. This would be translated into political action that guides
both parties - Israelis and Palestinians - toward reconciliation. A just
peace will help discourage further Palestinian Christians from leaving their
ancestral land for foreign climes. In this context, Christians need to assume
the role of educators for justice and peace, to encourage inter-religious
dialogue and to be a voice for the voiceless - those oppressed and
disenfranchised - in their society.
In this context, it is equally important to commend the role
played by sister Churches and church-related organisations worldwide through
both their moral and material solidarity with local Christians. From the Holy
See to the Episcopal Conferences in the USA or England to the World Council of
Churches, Christians must remember those initiatives undertaken toward peace
with justice in their land. After all, the Christian ministry of reconciliation
should be pursued despite all the hold-ups. The Churches - in their modest and
humble being - could play a prophetic role toward moderation and reconciliation
that is sensitive to the sufferings and legitimate aspirations of their people
as much as become a vane for all abuses and excesses that are committed by one
party or another and that challenge the dignity of all human beings.
* Conclusive Steps
How can one assist the indigenous Christians to sustain their
presence and witness in this land?
1. Work with patience and perseverance over issues of justice and
peace;
2. Strengthen the ecumenical spirit of unity in diversity within the churches,
whilst retaining within this larger oneness the faithfulness toward their own
respective churches;
3. Educate the Christian communities - the small flock of Christians in the
Holy Land - to assume their responsibilities as witnesses for Jesus Christ in
His land. They should be faithful to their Christian faith as well as to
their Arab and Muslim society - even when this implies sacrifices along the
way;
4. Pursue an inter-religious dialogue that is courageous enough to reflect the
existential realities and difficulties suffered by Christians, Muslims and Jews
sharing the same land;
5. Enhance the solidarity of the Universal Church with the local Christians in
confronting their hardships. One pressing example is to come to the succour of
the Christian schools that are facing serious financial difficulties and are
unable to continue their invaluable ministry of education;
6. Help form Christian cadres that will play an effective and edifying role
within their societies, as much as discourage Christians from selling their
lands because of financial shortfalls;
7. Provide a proper education focusing on faith issues as much as on justice
and peace so that the small flock of Christians will remain committed to their
faith and to the mystery of God revealed on His land.
* Personal Overview
I believe that this gathering at the Vatican served as a tangible
encouragement to many local Christians at a time of despondency and
uncertainty. But such a psychological prop-up also had a longer-term objective.
Just as the Pope expressed his concern during his Jubilee Year pilgrimage in
March 2000, the Holy See has become increasingly pre-occupied with the future
of the Christian communities in the Holy Land. By holding this pastoral
meeting, a strategy will have begun to take shape at the highest possible
Catholic level. This is a healthy development on all religious, political and
social strata and might translate itself into concrete steps in future.
Despite their overwhelming Palestinian identity, and despite their
roots being firmly imbedded in Palestinian culture, my own experience - from
numerous conversations I have had with local Christians in Bethlehem, Ramallah,
Jerusalem or elsewhere - indicates that the Christian community is nervous for
its future. This fear is as much political and economic as it is religious and
personal. The worse the political situation gets, the more fragile their
economic survival becomes and the more alarming their emigration from the land
turns! Fear is a human reaction, and the political dramas that are unfolding in
the Holy Land today instil a sense of fear in many hearts. Steadfastness, clothed
in patriotism and retailed as nationalism, is not always an elegant
panacea.
But the worsening political situation - the root cause of ills -
is also fomenting a religious hardening within certain cross-sections of
Palestinian society and is consequently playing upon peoples' fears. No
matter how vocally some Christians deny this reality, they cannot conceal the
truth in the quicksand forever. There remains an urgent need to counter this
polarisation that is rooting itself within some segments of society. It
is pointless to 'rationalise' this phenomenon - one does not rationalise with
instincts; one deals with them with integrity!
A double strategy must be pursued. A top priority is to undo a
nefarious and illegal occupation that has wrought havoc upon Palestinian
society and has recently almost crippled it. Hand-in-hand with this priority
though comes the need for Christian and Muslim religious leaders to speak out
vocally, and act publicly, against any extremism targeting their faith
communities. What must rise from the churches and mosques in equal measure, and
with equal candour, is a clarion call for an end to puerile and self-serving
gains that are seriously divisive in nature, have precious little to do with
religion and undermine national cohesion at this decisive juncture.
Finally, and much as the Christian numbers are dwindling, the
attachment of those indigenous Living Stones to their faith remains firm.
Whether Greek, Armenian or Syrian Orthodox, Latin, Maronite or Melkite
Catholic, Anglican or Lutheran, local Christians are the stewards of an
unshakeable legacy time-bound in Jesus Christ. Theirs is a faith-centred
witness that has challenged the weariness of time and the withering of
circumstances.
“The whole Church shares your concerns, supports your daily
efforts, is close to the suffering of your faithful, and, through prayer, keeps
hope alive” (HH John-Paul II - 13
December 2001
(c) harry-bvH @ 16 December 2001
|
Important note to our dear readers We really hope that you enjoy what we send you and find it
useful. If you need further information, please feel free to contact us at: nonviolence@writeme.com
Thank you for your understanding & with best wishes from
Jerusalem Fr. Raed Abusahlia |