Holy Land bishops urge continued pilgrimages, discuss synod, annulments
November 06, 2015
At the conclusion of a two-day meeting in Jerusalem, the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land “noticed with relief that pilgrims came in large numbers” to the region in September and October.
“We renew the call, made before several times already, to everybody wishing to walk along the footsteps of Christ: don’t be afraid,” the bishops continued, as they pledged to make the Sacrament of Penance more widely available to pilgrims during the upcoming jubilee year of mercy.
Turning to the recently completed synod on the family, the bishops emphasized “the need and urgency to enhance the preparation of young couples for marriage, to lead a genuine reflection on the meaning, beauty and vocation of religious marriage. Couples, in the midst of crisis, need more than ever before to be accompanied and supported.”
The bishops also expressed gratitude for Pope Francis’s changes to annulment procedures and said they “hope to learn more” about how to implement them.
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