Solidarity with impoverished Christians: Bishop warns in the Holy Land

Solidarity with impoverished Christians: Bishop warns in the Holy Land

Betlehem, Palästina - An urgent appeal from the Holy Land: The Lutheran Bishop of Jerusalem, Sani Ibrahim Azar, asked the Christian community in the west to actively solide with the believers in the Holy Land. In a guest commentary, Azar emphasized that pilgrimages offer an excellent opportunity to support the oppressed Christians in this region. "70 percent of Betlehem residents are dependent on tourism that has dramatically collapsed since the war after October 7, 2023," said Azar. The result: thousands of people live in poverty and see hardly any future prospects. In the past few weeks, almost 160 Christian families have already left their homeland, which is a critical loss for the Christian minority there, as kathpress.at reported.

The situation for the Palestinians in West Bank remains tense, even if the war is hopefully over. New checkpoints that Israel has erected are massively restricting freedom of movement and leading to uncertainty and exhaustion. "People are tired," said Azar. As a pastor for more than 2,000 believers, the bishop not only has to deal with the challenges, but is also committed to the preservation of the Christian community. This becomes even more important in context: From 18 to 23 January 2025, the 24th international bishop meeting of the "Holy Land Coordination" takes place. It is visited by nine bishops from seven nations, and the German delegation is made by Archbishop Dr. Udo Markus Bentz listed, as dbk.de reported.

international bishop meeting as a sign of hope

The upcoming meeting in Jerusalem has the goal of strengthening the Christians and churches in the region in need of protection and promoting dialogue between the different religious communities. "In view of the ongoing war and its devastating consequences, it is important that we meet there," said Archbishop Bentz. He found that resignation and despair are spreading in the region, but there must also be a way out of this apparently hopeless situation. Talks with church institutions and repeated visits to the holy sites should set the sign of hope and illustrate the connection with the suffering people. During the meeting, important measures are also discussed to support Christians in Israel and Palestine.