Holy Land journey: Trying to unravel this complex situation

By Bishop Gerald Kicanas
One in a series

DAY SEVEN: Jan. 11, 2010

JERUSALEM — The formal work of the Coordination of Episcopal Conferences with the Church in the Holy Land began today. It includes Bishop William Kenney, auxiliary bishop of Birmingham, England, and coordinator of the group; Bishop Peter Burcher from the Nordic bishops’ conference; Bishop Stephan Ackermann, president of the German bishops’ conference; Bishop Joan-Enric Vives of Urgell (Spain and Andorra), representing the Spanish bishops’ conference; Bishop Riccardo Fontana of the Italian conference; Bishop Pierre Morissette, president of the Canadian bishops’ conference; and a number of staff and media people from the various conferences of bishops.

The purpose of the coordination is to encourage prayer and pilgrimages for the Holy Land as well as persuasion to bring peace to the land and to encourage projects to help in the Holy Land. (continue below)

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(Editor’s Note: Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson, Ariz., vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, is on a trip to Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories to attend an international meeting of bishops in support of the church in the Holy Land. He has agreed to be a guest blogger for us during the trip.)

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This year’s theme is focused on Jerusalem and the concerns that have arisen which affect the church and Palestinians as well as all in this holy and important city.

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Archbishop Antonio Franco, Patriarch Fouad Twal, Bishop William Kenney. (Photo by Mazur/catholicchurch.org.uk)

The program began with presentations by His Beatitude Fouad Twal, appointed the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem in 2008, and Archbishop Antonio Franco, apostolic nuncio to Israel, in order to explain the state of the situation in 2010.

Patriarch Twal spoke of the hopes and concerns of 2009. First among the hopeful moments was the visit of Pope Benedict XVI. In his parting words the Holy Father reassured the people that he had come to this land as a friend of Israelis and a friend of the Palestinians. Friends, he reminded them, enjoy being in one another’s company. As a friend the pope reflected on how he is bothered by the continuing tensions. He weeps at the continued bloodshed and suffering. The pope appealed for “no more bloodshed, no more fighting, no more terrorism, no more war.”  We can all hope that the pope’s words become realized.