A 26-strong delegation of bishops and representatives from Bishops’ Conferences and church bodies from Europe and North American countries will visit the Christian peoples and Churches in the Holy Land from 10 to 14 January 2010. The annual visit is organised by the Coordination of Episcopal Conferences in Support of the Church of the Holy Land (Holy Land Co-ordination) and the Assembly of Catholic Bishops in the Holy Land. This year, the CCEE (Council of European Bishops’ Conferences) Secretary-General, Fr. Duarte da Cunha, will also be part of the delegation. “With this visit, the European bishops want to express their desire to better understand and share the problems of the peoples in those territories and at the same time to offer a tangible sign of the closeness that our Churches have towards the Christians of the Holy Land and their friendship towards the Israeli and Palestinian peoples”, said Fr Duarte da Cunha. “The Church in Europe needs this type of encounter to build bridges of solidarity and hope and to better determine the type of interventions in support of our Christian brothers and sisters”. The delegation will begin its journey meeting the Christian communities in Gaza and parishes in the West Bank. Subsequently, there are scheduled meetings with the local populations, young priests and seminarians, a visit to the University of Bethlehem and Beit Safa Seminary. Particularly important will be the meetings, on Wednesday 13 January, with President Shimon Peres and President Mahmud Abbas. The visit will end on Thursday 14 January in Jerusalem with a celebration at the Holy Sepulchre and a News Conference.

© SIR - 8 jenuary 2010