Despite dangers, Christian pilgrimages still focus on Holy Land, Middle East

April 30, 2015

The Roman institution sponsoring pilgrimages, the Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi (OPR), continues to focus on trips to the Middle East, despite the rising dangers of conflict there.

Msgr. Liberio Andreatta, the head of OPR, told the ANSA news service that more than 75% of the pilgrimages sponsored by the organization involve visits to Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian territories, with southern Iraq soon to be added to the list of itineraries. He observed that pilgrims traveling to these lands not only provide economic support for local residents, but also, more importantly, show solidarity with the embattled Christian minorities.

Msgr. Andreatta stressed the importance of maintaining a Christian presence particularly in the Holy Land. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict would be even more intractable without the presence of Christians, he argued: “Israelis and Palestinians are two legs of a table: and a table with two legs doesn't stand. The presence of Christian pilgrims is the third leg.”

 

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Further information:

• Middle East, Vatican pilgrims' organization bets on region (ANSA)