Archbishops Launch Advent Appeal to Support the Holy Land
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Rev Justin Welby, and the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, Most Rev Hosam Naoum, have issued a joint Advent appeal urging Anglicans to pray for Palestinian Christians and support the Diocese of Jerusalem.
In a pastoral letter following their recent pilgrimage to Palestine and Israel, the archbishops shared their experiences from the five-day visit. They last met in Jerusalem just two weeks after the October 7th attacks in 2023, and since then, they noted, “the world has witnessed unimaginable suffering, death, destruction, and displacement that has made Gaza simply uninhabitable.” They expressed gratitude for the continued service of the Al Ahli Anglican Hospital in Gaza City amidst the horrors and called for an immediate end to the war, the release of all hostages and prisoners, and an end to forced displacement.
During their travels to Ramallah and Bethlehem, the archbishops were profoundly moved by the stories of Palestinian Christians, both lay and ordained, who shared their daily struggles under the ongoing occupation. They highlighted the despair felt by many, especially young adults, who question their future in the region. “We fear for the long-term survival of the indigenous Christian presence in the Holy Land that stretches back to the time when our Lord walked this land. This existential challenge demands our focused attention and collective response,” they stated.
The pilgrimage also included a visit to the Tent of Nations outside Bethlehem City, where a family is engaged in a legal battle with the Israeli Supreme Court over the ownership of their farm. The letter also mentioned Layan Nasir, a Palestinian Christian from St Peter’s Anglican Church in Birzeit, who has been detained since April without legal proceedings, based on classified evidence.
The archbishops concluded their letter by addressing the feelings of abandonment expressed by many indigenous Christians of the Holy Land regarding the global Church’s response to the war and their challenges. “This must change. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we must be united in saying there can be no Gospel justification for denying people their God-given human dignity and the rights that flow from this,” they wrote.
As Advent approaches, the archbishops invited Christians across the Anglican Communion to recall the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8) and join in prayer against these injustices, appealing to God for intervention and justice, and to soften the hearts of the oppressors. “We must always pray and never lose heart. Through our prayerful persistence, justice will prevail,” they affirmed.
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