From August 16 to 20, Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, archbishop of Marseille and president of the French Bishops’ Conference, is on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He came to meet local communities affected by the current conflict, including the Benedictine Monastery of Abu Gosh, as well as the village of Taybeh, the only predominantly Christian village in Palestine, which was targeted a few weeks ago by “a dangerous series of systematic attacks,” according to the priests living there. The cardinal and his accompanying delegation celebrated Mass in the Latin parish and shared a meal with the community.
It was with these words that the parish priest of Taybeh welcomed the cardinal: “Your Eminence, Cardinal Aveline, the bishops, the priests. It is with great joy and deep gratitude that we welcome you today to Taybeh. Your presence among us is a blessing, for you come in the footsteps of Our Lord Jesus Christ who himself walked in these holy lands and here in Taybeh, as the mosaic of our church represents: the entry of Jesus into Taybeh, according to Saint John, chapter 11, verse 54, when Jesus left Jerusalem with his disciples and came to Taybeh, entered Taybeh, which in the Bible is called Aphram or Ephraim. So, you are welcome to Taybeh. May your visit be for our community a sign of hope, renewed faith and fraternal communion. Welcome to our village, to our parish.” During our Mass today, we pray for justice, for peace in the Holy Land, and especially for peace and justice in our Taybeh, our village. Thank you.
Then the Cardinal spoke: “Dear friends of Taybeh, I would first like to thank you for your magnificent welcome today. From France, which we left yesterday, we have ardently desired to come and visit you at the beginning of this pilgrimage of hope. And now this journey has been made possible and we have the joy of celebrating this Sunday with your community: Shukran lakum!
Thank you for welcoming the delegation from the Presidency of the Episcopal Conference, with Bishop Benoit Bertrand of Pontoise, Bishop Vincent Jordy of Tours, Father Christophe Lesourt, Secretary General, Mrs. Candice Castelein of the communications team, and Father Romain Louge of the Diocese of Marseille, whom I thank for providing the translation. Thank you also for the ecumenical cooperation that you have experienced for a long time between all the Christian communities of this beautiful city of Taybeh.” I know that you share the concern for your city and that collaboration between Christians of different rites is meaningful given the conditions in which you live. Thank you also for the concern you have for your Muslim brothers and sisters who are your neighbors. We, too, wanted our pilgrimage to demonstrate the support of the Church of France for the Christian communities of the Holy Land and also to be an expression of our solidarity with all friends of peace, whatever their beliefs or religions. We know that Taybeh, ancient Ephraim, where the sons of Joseph came to settle, is in the grip of serious difficulties that you have had the courage to denounce. We have heard your appeals, which have challenged the Christians of France. The fact that our delegation from the Presidency of the Bishops of France has chosen, for its first trip since our appointment, to come and visit you and see for ourselves the difficulties you face and the injustices of which you are victims, is a way of responding to your appeal. Upon returning from this journey, we will report on what we have seen and seek the best way to support you. Today’s Mass opened with the words of the Risen Christ: As-salam ma’a jami’kum.
Pope Leo repeated these words to us when he appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s on the evening of his election. I also received a message from him, telling me that he was “accompanying us in spirit and prayer during the days of our journey to the Holy Land, inviting us to experience it as a powerful testimony of closeness and mercy.” With you, we thank God for the gift of this encounter and we pray that our pilgrimage may sustain your hope for justice and peace.
Read more: https://en.abouna.org/content/french-cardinal-aveline-holy-land
By diocese-marseille.fr & en.abouna.org
