Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Londra (Agenzia Fides) - A call for peace and brotherhood was launched by Greek Melkite Catholic Archbishop recently in Westminster Cathedral in London. Celebrating a Mass for the 60th anniversary of the Catholic aid association Aid to the Church in Need, the Archbishop recalled that Jesus was born in Galilee and that Christians in the Holy Land are the direct descendants of “the first men and women who heard the Good News”: “My forefathers for the first to listen to Jesus and be fascinated by what He had to say”.
Archbishop Chacour said: “We have kept the faith for over 2000 years. Today from the Middle East comes news of violence and bloodshed but there is also the news of the ‘empty tomb', where Jesus the Christ was laid and is Risen. We continue to live in the Holy Land despite the difficulties. We ask you to come and visit us. It is important to visit the holy places but it is even more important to visit the Living Stones, the Christians living in the Holy Land today”.
The Archbishop continued: “I have come to ask for something, for your friendship. Come and visit us, make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land we will make you welcome. Come and see”.
The Archbishop recalled that Christians in the Holy Land are dwindling in numbers as many continue to emigrate, to escape the danger and the tragic economic situation: “In 1948, 60% of the people in Bethlehem were Christians. Today we are less than 10%. In 1948 there were more than 45,000 Christians in Jerusalem. Today there are only about 7,000”. He called on Christians around the world to help his people but not by opposing Jews or Muslims: “There as already been too much violence in Palestine”.
The Archbishop is deeply committed to promoting peace in the Holy Land. Three times a Nobel Peace Prize candidate, Archbishop Elias, an Arab nationalised Israeli, is a well known figure in the Holy Land for his activity to promote dialogue and in the field of education: he also opened the first mixed university for Jewish and Palestinian students and in the village of Ibillin in Galilee, where he was parish priest for many years, he opened Mar Elias School which has 4,000 pupils. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 2/10/2007 righe 26 parole 261)
