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Listening to the Christians of the Holy Land
Having taken part in this year’s virtual ‘Holy Land Co-ordination’ pilgrimage, Bishop William Nolan, the Catholic Bishop of Galloway in Scotland, reflects that he is “sad but hopeful” after five days of remote meetings. A regular on the annual pilgrimage of Bishops to the Holy Land, a group that represents the Church in standing with…
Supporting the Church of the Holy Land
This excellent reflection from Bishop Nicholas Hudson, looking back on this year’s Holy Land Co-ordination, gives his thoughts on the virtual pilgrimage of bishops from around the world to the lands of Christ. The Holy Land Co-ordination is an annual pilgrimage to support the Christians and people of the region but this year was a…
Holy Land Christians offer the model of a ‘Servant Church’
On today’s ‘Catholic News’ podcast we’re joined by the long-term chair of what’s called the Holy Land Co-ordination – a prayerful annual pilgrimage of bishops from around the world to the land of Christ’s life and ministry. Bishop Declan Lang, Catholic Bishop of Clifton, like his fellow delegates, had to engage in this year’s pilgrimage…
Israel must work with Palestinian authorities to make Covid-19 vaccines accessible to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza
Final Communique of the 2021 Holy Land Co-ordination The Bishops of the Holy Land Co-ordination, an international annual pilgrimage to the Holy Land, have released a final communique having met remotely this year due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. The Bishops engaged in a number of online sessions from 16 – 21 January to examine the…
First ever virtual Holy Land Co-ordination
16 – 21 January 2021 Bishops from across Europe, North America and South Africa will meet remotely this year to reflect on and discuss the realities of life for the Christians and peoples of the Holy Land. In 2000, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales was asked by the Vatican to organise an…
How to support the Christians of the Holy Land during the COVID-19 pandemic
In many ways, the Christians of the Holy Land rely on pilgrimages for their survival. In 2019 over 4.5 million pilgrims flocked to the holy sites to experience the places of Christ’s birth, ministry, death and resurrection. The pounds and dollars pumped into the local economy, with tourists buying goods such as olive wood carvings…
Church leaders call on the UK government to help deter annexation of the West Bank
Church leaders from the United Reformed Church, Church of Scotland, Quakers in Britain, Methodist Church, Church of England and Catholic Church have called on the UK government to help deter annexation of the West Bank, which could begin from 1 July: We stand alongside the Holy Land’s Christian leaders, who have warned that the Israeli…
Bishops call on Government to help prevent annexation of West Bank
Catholic and Anglican Bishops from the Holy Land Coordination group have called on the UK government and parliamentarians to help prevent annexation of the West Bank, which could begin on 1 July. Their intervention follows a recent statement by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster expressing the churches’ strong opposition to…
Cardinal and Archbishop of Canterbury oppose annexation of West Bank territory
This week, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster wrote to both the Israeli Ambassador, Mark Regev, and the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, expressing their opposition to any move by the Government of Israel to annex West Bank territory after 1 July 2020. These letters followed the recent warning from the…
Annexation would destroy hope of peaceful two-state solution for Israel-Palestine, says Bishop
Bishop Declan Lang, Chair of the Bishops’ International Affairs department, has responded to a letter sent by patriarchs and church leaders in the Holy Land on Israeli Unilateral Annexation Plans. The leaders warn that the move to annex West Bank land raises “serious and catastrophic questions about the feasibility of any peaceful agreement to end…
Bishop: COVID-19 “Impending humanitarian catastrophe” in Holy Land
Bishop Declan Lang, Chair of the Holy Land Coordination has urged Catholics to support people in the Holy Land affected by the COVID-19 pandemic: “As we approach Easter amid this global pandemic, we must not forget the impact on our sisters and brothers in the land of Christ’s birth, death and resurrection. “Not only is this a major…
Bishops reject “Peace for Prosperity” plan and insist on the upholding of international law and human rights for all in the Holy Land
Our governments have a responsibility to uphold international law and protect human dignity in the Holy Land. This unilateral initiative does not do so. We are extremely concerned that the UK government has welcomed the proposal. The government should continue to insist upon meaningful dialogue, a viable two-state solution and the application of international law.…
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