The winds of war are once again blowing across the home of the Prince of Peace. Many years ago, a priest friend advised me if you put off going to the Holy Land until there is a peaceful period with no trouble, you will never go. Historians may document a period of peace in the world around the time of the birth of Christ, but since then, there has almost always been a war somewhere — often in the very region of the world Christ called home.
While the protagonists of the Jewish and Islamic sides of this conflict argue, the survival of the Christian presence in the cradle of Christianity is often ignored. Wars have consequences. Some estimate that half of the Christians in Iraq and Syria have fled the region since the Second Gulf War and the Syrian civil war.
There are about 180,000 Christians in Israel. Seventy percent are Arabs or Palestinians, the largest group living in Jesus’s hometown of Nazareth. As a small minority within a minority, Christians require peace and stability for their survival. This latest war will do little to enhance that.
The so-called “Status Quo” is the unwritten rule in Israel under which religious groups don’t rock the boat at holy sites under the protection of different religious groups. You may visit, but not hold religious services without an agreement. Even the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which encompasses Calvary and the Tomb of Christ, is managed by a consortium. The key to the church is traditionally in the possession of a Muslim Arab family to avoid disputes among the Christians.
That peace has been unraveling lately at the nearby Temple Mount, also called the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is claimed by both Muslims and Jews and is just one front on a broad sectarian conflict that has now turned violent. To this end, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches of Jerusalem, have issued a joint call for peace and prayer:
The Holy Land, a place sacred to countless millions around the world, is currently mired in violence and suffering due to the prolonged political conflict and the lamentable absence of justice and respect for human rights. We, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, have time and again appealed for the importance of respecting the historic and legal Status Quo of the holy shrines. In these trying times, we come together to raise our voices in unity, echoing the divine message of peace and love for all humanity.
As custodians of the Christian faith, deeply rooted in the Holy Land, we stand in solidarity with the people of this region, who are enduring the devastating consequences of continued strife.
Our faith, which is founded on the teachings of Jesus Christ, compels us to advocate for the cessation of all violent and military activities that bring harm to both Palestinian and Israeli civilians.
We unequivocally condemn any acts that target civilians, regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, or faith. Such actions go against the fundamental principles of humanity and the teachings of Christ, who implored us to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31).
It is our fervent hope and prayer that all parties involved will heed this call for an immediate cessation of violence. We implore political leaders and authorities to engage in sincere dialogue, seeking lasting solutions that promote justice, peace, and reconciliation for the people of this land, who have endured the burdens of conflict for far too long.
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May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us all during these challenging times.
—The Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches
Related: Pray for Israel, Pray for Peace
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, said yesterday, “The cycle of violence that has killed numerous Palestinians and Israelis in the past months has exploded…The operation launched from Gaza, and the reaction of the Israeli Army are bringing us back to the worst periods of our recent history. The too many causalities and tragedies, which both Palestinians and Israeli families have to deal with, will create more hatred and division and will destroy more and more any perspective of stability.… We ask God to inspire world leaders in their intervention for the implementation of peace and concord so that Jerusalem may be a house of prayer for all peoples.”
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