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November
6, 2006
VOL.
44, NO. 19Oakland,
CA
Jerusalem archbishop
describes impact
of failed peace process in Middle East
CLEVELAND
(CNS) -- Coadjutor Archbishop Fouad Twal of the Latin Patriarchate of
Jerusalem is in the position to witness firsthand how the failure of the
peace process in the Middle East is taking its toll on the Christians
who live there.
When asked to describe typical daily challenges, Archbishop Twal said,
“Permits. They (Palestinians, both Christians and Muslims) need
a permit to get into and out of Bethlehem, to go to work, to go to Jerusalem
to pray, to go to the airport or the hospital or to Bethlehem University.”
His pastoral work is affected because of the limitations on movement.
“Our priests cannot make a spiritual retreat because they cannot
get around the country,” he told the Catholic Universe Bulletin,
newspaper of the Diocese of Cleveland, during a recent visit to the city.
Although they’ve been living in the region for 20 centuries, they
also represent a diverse church. “They are Arab by language and
culture, Jordanian or Palestinian by nation, and Jordanian, Palestinian
or Israeli by residence,” he said. And their numbers are rapidly
shrinking.
About 350,000 Christians remain in Jordan, Israel and Palestine, according
to figures from the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation, which sponsored
Archbishop Twal’s visit along with the Cleveland diocesan Council
on Global Solidarity. They represent less than 2 percent of the total
population.
Palestinians climb up a ladder placed on the Israeli
separation barrier as they try to bypass the Aram checkpoint on the edge
of Jerusalem Oct. 20. Israel has maintained that it needs the wall for
security, but Palestinians have said that the wall creates hardships for
them. CNS PHOTO/ELIANA APONTE/REUTERS
