Catholic World News News Feature

World day of prayer for peace in Holy Land: Dec. 22 December 21, 2004

The Catholic bishops of northern Africa and the Arabic world have organized a special day of prayer for reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, on December 22.

Archbishop Henri Teissier of Algiers, speaking on behalf of the two episcopal conferences that joined in the initiative, has asked all of the world's Catholic bishops to promote the day of prayer. The proposal originated during a joint discussion, held in Rome in October, that brought together the bishops' conference of northern Africa (CERNA) with that of the Arab region (CERLA).

"It is a common appeal, addressed to all the bishops of the world during Advbent, for a moment when all thoughts will turn toward Palestine," Archbishop Teissier explained. He continued:

These two peoples, Palestinians and Israelis, are suffering. All the friends of the Holy Land must pull together, with all their strength, to allow these two peoples to work in peace.

The appeal sent by CERNA and CERLA to the bishops' conferences of the world was originally drafted by the Latin-rite Patriarch of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah. The initiative carried the endorsement of Cardinal Renato Martino, the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. In their appeal, the organizers asked bishops to choose their own means of observing the day of prayer. In an interview with the Italian daily Avvenire , published on December 21, Patriarch Sabbah said that Christians have "a special mission" to play in bringing peace to the Holy Land. "We must make our contribution to ending the war between Palestinians and Israelis, and working to build a future of peace and common life," he said.

The day of prayer was suggested by 24 bishops from CERLA (a group that unites the bishops of the Holy Land, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, Djibouti, and the Arabian peninsula) and CERNA (which includes bishops of Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Mauritania, and western Sahara. At their meeting in October, these bishops-- all of them representing small Christian minorities in predominantly Muslim societies-- said that the Israeli-Palestinian problem continues to threaten the security and welfare of their region.

Regretting that "blood is still being shed in the Holy Land," the bishops of CERNA and CERLA said: "We believe that the churches can always do more." They added: "If all the churches of the world joined in common and concerted action," urging their people and their government leaders to take action, "their intervention could be a decisive factor in winning peace, justice, and reconciliation for the Holy Land."