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Bethlehem, We Are Here to Tell You that What Affects You, Affects Us
21-Dec-06
George Ghattas
HCEF
Religious leaders from England and Wales are traveling on a pilgrimage in solidarity with the churches of the Holy Land.
They have arrived in Bethlehem and visited the Church of the Nativity. Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah and delegations of the Jerusalem church leaders welcomed the visiting leaders: Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster; Rowan Williams, Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury; David Coffey, Baptist Minister and Free Churches Moderator; and Nathan Hovhannisian, Primate of the Armenian Church of Great Britain. Several leaders used the occasion as an opportunity to express their concerns for the inhabitants of the holy land and unity in spirit.
Archbishop Rowan Williams said, “And to you people of Bethlehem, we are here to tell you that what affects you affects us" in his solidarity address to the audience of church leaders, community leaders, and townspeople.
Bethlehem's Mayor, Mr. Victor Batarseh, reconfirmed growing isolation of the town and the importance of pilgrims to stand in solidarity with them.
Patriarch Michel Sabbah prayed, "May the Lord give us the courage to bring the rebirth of peace and justice to this town, and to the whole holy land."
In the same spirit the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF), is organizing its third annual Journey to Bethlehem. HCEF will bring hundreds of children from Christian towns and cities in the West Bank, Jordan, and Israel to join together in commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ. They will also demonstrate solidarity with the local community of Bethlehem, which suffers from severe economic and social pressures.
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