A Solidarity Meeting with His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem
A Virtual Visit to the Holy Land Held by WCC, MECC, ACT Alliance, and Caritas Internationalis
Together Towards Peace and Reconciliation!
In support to the brothers and sisters in the Holy Land and Gaza in light of the difficult circumstances they are passing through, a delegation from the World Council of Churches (MECC) and Ecumenical partners from around the world, including the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), ACT Alliance, and Caritas Internationalis, held an online solidarity meeting with His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Holy City and all Other Palestine and Jordan, and Church Leaders in Jerusalem, on Wednesday 7 August 2024.
This meeting comes as part of a virtual visit program held by the World Council of Churches (WCC) between 7 and 8 August 2024, as recent developments in the region led to the postponement of an in-person visit originally slated for 5-9 August. In fact, this solidarity visit is taking place at a time when the war is worsening in the region, especially in Palestine, and emergency humanitarian needs are increasing at various levels. Therefore, it aims to promote dialogue towards restoring peace and stability.
The delegation included His Grace Bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, WCC Moderator, Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, WCC General Secretary, Mr. Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, ACT Alliance General Secretary, and Mr. Alistair Dutton, Caritas Internationalis Secretary General, Dr. Audeh Quawas, Member of the WCC Central Committee and Executive Committee, Prof. Dr. Michel Abs, Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and Mr. Erik Lysén, ACT Alliance Moderator.
In the meeting with His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, His Beatitude spoke to the importance not least at this particular point in time of global commitment and accompaniment of Christian presence in the Middle East and Jerusalem in particular, which he described as being of paramount importance. He said, " As servants of the word of the Lord, we are trying our best to pray for peace, for justice and reconciliation. What is going on is really very dangerous not only for our region and the Holy Land but for the whole world, and it is our moral obligation as spiritual leaders to promote and serve the values of the Gospel."
His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III added, “This gathering is about sending a message all over the world, and to the people here, a message of peace and reconciliation – if it comes from our hearts, I believe the Lord will listen to our Prayers.”
In his turn, Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, WCC Moderator, mentioned that “what we want to do is to really listen to what you have to say; we want to be a loudspeaker into the world, of the stories we are hearing.”
He continued, " Please know that we are thinking of you, every day, deep in our hearts. And we will try not only to understand what is happening, but to engage in dialogue with others, for peace and justice."
For his part, Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, WCC General Secretary, stressed the connection between this meeting and the in-person solidarity visit undertaken in February of this year. He said “as Church, we continue to pursue our prophetic ministry, to engage with both local communities and political leaders, and we are looking forward to pushing the agenda for an end to the war."
He also added, " We will continue to work for ceasefire and an end to the war. We will continue to look at the humanitarian situation, both in terms of access and aid. And we will continue to look at the question of what happens after the war. We need to put together roadmaps as to how we as Churches and other faith communities can work together to build peace long-term.”
As for Dr. Michel Abs, MECC Secretary General, he emphasized the words of His Beatitude Theophilos III in reflecting on the broader Middle East context. He pointed out that “We should make our voices heard. The sound of bombs is not stronger than the sound of hearts, of love.”
He continued, " We should remind those occupying the land of others, destroying their houses and aggressing and humiliating them on daily basis, to leave room for reconciliation and love in the future."
During the meeting, the attendees presented their concerns, challenges, and aspirations regarding the ongoing war in Palestine and the difficult circumstances that the region is passing through, as they raised their Prayers for justice and peace in the Middle East and the world.
