The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, at their recent Spring General Meeting, encouraged the faithful to show support for the persecuted people and places of the Holy Land. The following statement was made by the bishops:
The roots of our Christian faith lie in the Holy Land and in this Jubilee Year of Mercy we are asked especially to demonstrate our solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Middle East. Bishop John McAreavey gave an overview of his January visit as a member of the international Holy Land Coordination group, and explained how Christians living there rely heavily on the help of the universal Church. Bishops encouraged the faithful to support the annual Good Friday collection which is taken up in every Catholic church to support the people and places of the Holy Land. Bishops also encouraged pilgrims from Ireland to the Holy Land to join with Catholic communities for the celebration of Sunday Mass in their parishes in Jerusalem or in the West Bank.
The full statement from the Spring General Meeting of Bishops can be read here.
Pictured above are Bishop John McAreavey and His Beatitude Fouad Twal Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, during the January 2016 Holy Land Coordination Visit. With representatives of Trócaire, Bishop McAreavey held meetings with humanitarian and political representatives, and travelled to Bethlehem, the Cremisan Valley, Hebron, Jerusalem, Gaza and Jordan.
