Ad Hoc Committee of Men and Women Religious for a response to the Present Situation in the Holy Land

Propositions from meeting at Latin Patriarchate

Propositions from meeting at Latin Patriarchate
1. Prayer gatherings for peace and justice in the present situation and other specifically religious ceremonies that can mark our witness.
2. A mass religious gathering for all religious and faithful that would underline our commitment to peace and justice in solidarity with both Palestinian Arab Christians and Israeli Jewish Christians.
3. A religious ceremony (mass) for all religious at the end of which a letter from the religious to the Israeli and Palestinian political leadership as well as to the Universal Church would be made public. This letter needs to be formulated so as to address our specific reality as religious in this Land (religious who are living lives of solidarity on both sides of the divide but together witness to basic truths).
4. Specific peace and justice actions: a march for peace towards Bethlehem, solidarity visits to the occupied areas, etc.
5. Specific activities to make the religious more aware of the situation. The Patriarch would like a permanent committee of religious to deal with this aspect of our witness here. The Women Religious in the Jerusalem region have already initiated something along these lines. How can it be taken further?
Practical decisions
We decided to hold a big prayer gathering at St Anne’s Church on Friday, April 26, 2002, at 15.15. The gathering will be in the large space used at the end of the Palm Sunday procession. The prayer will be followed by the participants joining the Franciscans in the traditional Via Dolorosa procession at 16.00.
1. The prayer service will be prepared by Abbot Benedikt, Sister Frida and Father David and the plan will be sent out as soon as possible. The languages to be used are Arabic, Hebrew, English and French. A presentation of the prayer service in all four languages will precede the service itself.
2. At this prayer service a letter will be distributed in the name of the Men and Women Religious of the Holy Land. The letter is addressed to the Israeli and Palestinian leadership, to our superior generals and to the Church Universal. This letter will be drafted by Father Frederic and worked on by Sister Ildephonse and Father David. It will then distributed by e-mail to all for comment. Please send any proposals to Father Frederic as soon as possible.
3. Invitations to the prayer assembly will be made in the name of the Ad Hoc Committee of Men and Women Religious in the Holy Land. We invite all to participate, Christians from all Churches, Jews and Muslims. Father John is liason person with the media. Sister Frida with the Church in Galilee, Abbot Benedikt with the monasteries. Sister Johanna and Sister Eldephonse with the men and women religious. Father David with the Israeli and Palestinian peace and justice organizations.