Holy Land bishops welcome Gaza ceasefire

Holy Land bishops welcome Gaza ceasefire

Vatican news

Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land express satisfaction with the ceasefire in Gaza announced yesterday, but warn that it is only the first step in a “long process”.

By Joseph Tulloch

The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza and expressed hope that the truce will put a permanent end to the “immeasurable suffering” caused by 15 months of war.

In a press release, the Assembly – composed of all Catholic bishops, eparchs and exarchs with jurisdiction in Jerusalem, Palestine, Israel, Jordan and Cyprus – however stressed that “the end of the war does not mean the end of the war. end of the conflict.

What is needed, the Catholic Ordinaries said, is a “lengthy process” to address the “deep-rooted issues” at the heart of the conflict.

In this regard, their press release calls on the international community to “develop a clear and fair political vision for the post-war period”.

Pilgrims and the Holy Year

The Ordinaries also declared that they “look forward to the return of pilgrims to the Holy Places.”

Christian pilgrims usually flock to the holy sites of Palestine and Israel all year round, but since the outbreak of war in October 2023, they have almost entirely disappeared – with disastrous economic consequences for local tourism-dependent economies.

Finally, the Ordinaries also referred to the Jubilee Year of the Church 2025, the theme of which is “Pilgrims of Hope”.

At the start of a jubilee year “devoted to a hope which does not disappoint”, write the Ordinaries, they read the ceasefire as “a sign which reminds us of the fidelity of God”.

You can read the full statement from the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land here.

Vatican news

sc

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *