Speaking of the Holy Land…

The post below referred to issues in Israel and Palestine, which constitute a large part of the Holy Land. While politics command the headlines out of the region, the people of faith inside the borders there are suffering the day to day consequences of the tension. And the Catholic bishops are speaking out for them.

The bishops called for strong political leadership to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict, saying that “bold gestures are needed to break the cycle of Israeli fear and Palestinian anger that dominate the current situation.”

The fear and anger are not each one-sided.

In their January 18 statement the bishops noted “profound suffering on both sides” of the conflict, and said that confidence-building measures are essential to create trust between the conflicting parties. The bishops called for an end to the “humiliating treatment” of Palestinians by Israeli authorities. They also observed that “unity among Palestinian leaders is necessary for them to negotiate a just peace and create a better future.”

Creating trust between conflicting parties is an enormous task. It refers to Israel and Palestine, but also within Palestine to the rival parties of Hamas and Fatah. They can’t get themselves together, and lately have been at deadly odds. Christians are caught in the middle, and a humanitarian crisis is unfolding outside the range of the international media.

The group said that the Christian community in the Holy Land “is a moderating influence and is essential to achieving peace.” The bishops urged Christians in other countries to show their solidarity with the Christian minority, particularly by visiting the holy sites. The group’s statement called on Israeli officials to complete negotiations on a treaty that will establish the juridical rights of Church institutions in the country.

This is critical. The Church has to maintain whatever authority it still has over historically Christian holy sites for a presence in the land. Here’s an excellent organization giving immediate aid to the people and the cause.