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Coadjutor Archbishop Fouad Twal addresses HCEF 8th International Conference
08-Nov-06
Coadjutor Archbishop Fouad Twal
Dear Sir Rateb Rabie, President of the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation.
Dear Distinguished members and guests,
Peace and love of Our Lord to all of you.
It is a great pleasure for me today to be with you, and I would like to start by expressing my admiration and great appreciation for all the efforts of HCEF in organizing this very important forum about the Holy Land and its Christian community.
Indeed I had a very busy schedule over the last couple of weeks, mainly in the Catholic churches with faithful and hierarchy. Our goal in this tour is to raise awareness about what is taking place back in the Middle East. Our belief is that what we couldnt and cannot do through the media, can be done through the Churches. Such conference, I believe is a wonderful occasion to inform people and advocate on behalf of the Mother Church and its faithful.
Who is the Church? Its identity? Its mission; its role; its needs&where does it stand today in the midst of this turmoil. These are the issues that we tried to touch on with the Cardinals, bishops, priests and faithful. This process in fact started few years ago and it is leading to somewhere. It takes patience and time.
Identity
It is important to emphasize that Arab Christians are the essential and biggest part of our church. They have been Christians for twenty centuries, since the inception of Christianity. They are the continuity of faith and a living witness to our Lord in His own Land. With our beautiful liturgy and different rites, we are a Church of diversity and pluralism:
Arab Christians today are around 14 Million in the Arab World, and they are local indigenous people in their own countries. They survived centuries in co-existence with Muslims. Actually, Islam is also to some degree, a factor in their cultural identity.
The fact that the socio-political realities are very different in Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and in Israel, addes complexity that cannot be overlooked.
We also have other groups:
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1. Foreign Christian residents
2. Foreign workers
3. Pilgrims
All of them are part of the church of Jerusalem We feel ourselves responsible for their spiritual and human wellbeing even when they come from different backgrounds and they have different agendas:
Within each of these groups; there are many different ways to relate to the socio-political realities that define our lives. These ways are strongly influenced by where the faithful live , the environment they identify with and the community they belong to.
As you know our Patriarchate also extends its jurisdiction over three different countries: Jordan, Palestine and Israel.
" -What is our mission to each of these groups?
" -Can we have the same speech for all of them?
" -In the midst of all these challenges, can the Church of Jerusalem find its place and make its voice heard, keeping in mind our vocation to ecumenism and unity? More than ever we need to be united and to ask the Lord to guide our steps and our mission.
Although our numbers seem rather small, our presence is more substantial thanks to our numerous institutions (schools, hospitals, universities, and charity houses.) His Majesty King of Jordan, Abdullah the II, recognizes this at the highest level.
In his book entitled "the Christians", the former Crown Prince Hassan paid tribute to the Christian community which, despite its small number, is a dynamic presence in Arab society.
Political situation :
Indeed there is a conflict; or rather there are conflicts, because of , and within Jerusalem, and, in an ironic way, all the conflict is related to the universally accepted uniqueness of Jerusalem. As Jerusalem is unique in itself, consequently it is unique in its conflicts. At least in three respects Jerusalem differs from most other places:
- Jews ardently love Jerusalem and consider it their capital
- Christians honor her, because - There the words of Christ so often resounded; - There, the great events of the Redemption were accomplished. All Christian denominations worship too.
-Muslims also call Jerusalem holy , with a profound attachment that goes back to the origins of Islam.
The political situation conditions the life of all inhabitants in the Holy Land, Palestinians mainly, Muslims and Christians alike
The way to peace:
Peace is the most frequent word used by the leaders and the inhabitants of the Holy Land. Yet, how should peace be? The question then arises: is there a will for peace? Is peace a strategic choice?
Peace is not the pure absence of war, nor is it reduced to assuring the balance of opposing forces, nor can despotic domination or a military occupation provide it.
"Peace is directly related to God who in himself is the fullness of love. He sent his Word and only Son to gather into one the dispersed sons of God and to destroy the wall which separates them. (cf. Jn 11:52) "On the other hand, peace is also a task God has entrusted to us as a good to be continually sought and defended. Peace is never achieved once and for all; it must be worked for constantly. It is the fruit of a permanent struggle. "( Patriarch Sabbah)
This struggle takes the form of negotiations. The Late Pope John Paul II wrote in a letter to Patriarch Sabbah and to the Catholic Bishops of the Holy Land: Only a return to the negotiating table, on an equal footing, with due respect for international law, is capable of disclosing a future of brotherhood and peace for those who live in this blessed land . He continued, All individuals [must] see their fundamental rights guaranteed: both the Israeli people and the Palestinian people are equally entitled to live in their own homeland in dignity and security (November 6, 2000).
In fact, negotiation is the most civilized means of seeking justice. And for the Holy Land, the negotiations we need, require real dialogue, mediated by an impartial party to the conflict. An agreement should not be made under threat- it will not be effective. And this is, unfortunately, what we see: threats and violence.
So far the weakness of Israel is her reliance on its military power rather than International Law. The Military occupation and the ever-recurring cycle of state-sponsored acts of aggression, from one side of the conflict, tragically pushes the other side towards the last resort, which is armed actions, since every occupation calls for resistance and most of the time violent ones!! Israel, tell now with its military power, won all the wars, but up to now never won security and peace, that we desire also for them.
Peace and justice in our world are the result of negotiated agreements among partners. Peace and justice are reciprocal. They go together one package-deal
What are the main issues that negotiations should handle and heal?
1-Jerusalem:
We daily live in our hearts, souls and body this tragedy of division, hatred and even death. The city of reconciliation, the city of God, seems in her daily struggling life far from God.
Jerusalem, is at the heart of this conflict because it is the Holy City for all believers. It is also the national symbol for both Israelis and Palestinians. Therefore, this City is the key both to peace and to war.
It is understandable that the difficulty and delicacy of the question of Jerusalem have meant that it has been left until last. But we know, and the Israelis and Palestinians also know, that peace and coexistence in the Holy Land and Middle East have no future, unless and until an answer is found to the political question of Jerusalem.
2- The right of return and the refugees problem.
This right is internationally recognized (Security Council Resolution 194). I personally believe that very few refugees would actually return to Israel and that most of them would opt to stay in their adopted countries.
However, acceptance of the principle itself by Israel will indicate its adherence to international obligations and lead to a purification of memory that will inevitably foster some measure of goodwill amongst both parties
3- settlements:
Israeli Settlements should be removed since they are both illegal and a major cause of unrest and confrontation between the two peoples. While Israel continues to build illegal settlements, then the search for peace becomes even impossible.
4- Borders:
Israel is the state without clear borders. The wall - 700 kilometers and 30 feet high is in fact becoming a fait accompli If both parties resolve the aforementioned issues, it would be possible to resolve together the many other problems: like water shortages, education, poverty and the lack of economic cooperation that hurt both peoples.
The Role of the Church in the midst of the conflict:
Where do we Christians stand in the midst of this Turmoil? How do we consider our Role towards achieving Reconciliation and Peace in the Region?
We are part of this conflict being Arab Palestinians ourselves. However, although we are a very small segment of this nation, we believe, we have a crucial role in building peace. The conflict is definitely a political one, on territorial sovereignty with some religious implications, based on the religious heritage and memories of the three religions. It is not a religious one.
Through interfaith encounters, the church both local and international, is being an arena of dialogue and a catalyst for peace. This is an important role ,that would help bridge the gape between the two parties of the conflict. The Church can definitely reach where politicians can not. Consequently, it is necessary to work on a grass root level ,in the schools, churches, synagogues, mosques and everywhere to spread a culture of peace. You too are invited to join us in this quest.
A primary role is also to witness to the truth. Truth will set you free according to our Lord. Truth is a basic element in building peace: knowing the truth and not acting upon this knowledge has been the main obstacles towards achieving peace in the region.
This is where your contribution to end the occupation and promote reconciliation is urgently needed, where all of you churches, civil organizations, religious groups from various religions&all of us have a major role to play in achieving peace based on truth and justice.
Simply Stated, our Major need is Peace:
Peace remains a major need for all the inhabitance of the Holy Land : Jews and Palestinians alike, for if and once we have permanent peace based on Justice, then we will flourish, and most of our difficulties and sufferings will vanish.
Late Pope John Paul the II said : The Holy Land needs Bridges not Walls , which means the Wall should be knocked down, all check points to be left, and negotiations to start as soon as possible. All Political leaders carry the responsibilities of all victims of both sides, and we call on all of them, to stop these crimes that have been going for decades now.
Peace making, justice and reconciliation are urgently needed and for the sake of both sides.
The ongoing injustice and the lack of peace, are sources of frustration and desperation. Our youth and our young couples are, unfortunately, still leaving, for many of them dont see any hope for a better peaceful future. This situation has unfortunate implications, on their lives at all levels.
This is affecting not only our community living in Palestine, but also those in Jordan too. As you may know Jordan is caught between Iraq and Palestine, Syria and Israel- and this brings tremendous difficulties for its people.
Pastoral plan:
In the Jubilee year 2000, we developed our Pastoral Plan. This is a kind of Master plan for the Diocese, and it covers our life at all levels; Family, catechism, education, youth ministry, vocations etc&
So far our efforts in implementing the Pastoral plan have been hampered to some degree, by the political situation as it has been difficult, if not impossible to gather together from different areas of the Diocese.
As you most likely understand, these difficulties of traveling are not only experienced between the countries of the Diocese as a whole, but also from town to town.
Also our financial resources are stretched and hampering our efforts, to be able to carry on this major renewal, funds are needed for the Youth ministry, for the family centers, for education and for training the catechists&
2- Education and schooling:
Without our schools we would have lost our Christian community, and we would have lost our priestly vocations. Our schools not only provide us with an enormous chance for Catechism, but also all our vocations come from our schools.
-In these schools we ensure quality education for all Christian children,
-In these schools we catechize them
-From these schools we get our future priests
-In these schools we witness to our faith, because they are in the same time, a place of encounter with other churches, and with some Muslim families. A dialogue of life within the population.
In the public schools there is not Christian education or catechism, but rather Islamic religion is taught. Our schools are vital for our future.
It's true that our 43 schools around the Diocese, with 21,000 students are a major burden on our budget, but we accept such challenge as an opportunity with great joy, for we know that losing our schools, means losing our young people and our families and therefore, we risk loosing our future as a Church.
We must find a way to meet the challenge of our schools. The budget is barely enough to cover our very modest salaries, let alone the infrastructure challenges, and the cost of providing the excellent quality education we all desire.
Thanks to God, and to our dedicated priests, sisters, brothers and lay staff, we have been always on top in the government classification of schooling. Poor as we are, our commitment is not to provide a poor service.
We encourage you to continue with the partnerships, with the sponsorship of our Christian children, all these initiatives are most important and helpful- and whatever we can do, to multiply and grow them, may the Lord be praised, for through what HCEF has done, we have seen some miracles.
Conclusion:
First: Allow me to stress on the importance of the Mission of HCEF. To the president, the Board of Directors, to the Staff and all the supporters of HCEF: THANK YOU for all what you are doing We encourage you to continue with the good work you already started many years back, to increase your efforts to help us, Church Leaders of the Christian Community in the Holy Land, to fulfill our mission with all the challenges we face daily. We relay on your help and assistance at all levels for our survival.
We encourage you to pass this message on, and to inform the American politicians that their policies are weakening the moderates Arab Leaders, and reinforcing the fundamentals. Only by putting an end to the Israeli Occupation of Palestine, people can enjoy security and cut off the way to all kind of violence, and save lives of many victims of both sides.
Pope John Paul II, in his speech in Bethlehem, addressed the Christians of the Holy Land: "Do not be afraid to preserve your Christian presence and heritage in the very place where the Savior was born."
Thinking again about the year 2000, I wish to quote a few words, which Pope John Paul II addressed to the Diplomatic Corps,( on 11 January 1992) What a blessing it would be, if this Holy Land, where God spoke and Jesus walked, could become a special place of encounter and prayer for peoples; if this Holy City of Jerusalem, could be a sign and instrument of peace and reconciliation! It is here that believers have a mission of primary importance to accomplish: Forgetting the past and looking to the future, they are called to repentance, to re-examine their behavior and to realize once again, that they are brothers and sisters, by reason of God, who loves them and invites them to cooperate in His plan for humanity .
It would be wonderful if we cooperate, everyone according to his possibilities, to make the prayer of Pope John Paul II a reality.
Thank you all and may God bless all of you.
+ Coadjutor Archbishop Fouad Twal.
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