Author: Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem

We, the Christian Communities of Jerusalem, share deeply the sorrow and the sufferings of our people after the tragic events during which tens of people were killed and scores wounded on Monday, Oct. 8, 1990, at 11:00 a.m. in the venue of al-Haram al-Sharif and the Wailing Wall.

We cannot but condemn this massacre and we do point out that it should not be allowed to create provocative atmospheres that lead to conflict and confrontation among the adherents of the three monotheistic religions.

We extend our condolences to the families of the victims and do call upon God that all reasons to conflict may soon come to an end and that truth, justice and peace may prevail.

Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Custodian of the Holy Land
Syrian Orthodox Church
Greek Catholic Church
Anglican Bishopric RIC
Lutheran Bishop RIC

JT.: S. 30 Fragment! / Lindén 89

We, the Patriarchs and the heads of the Christian Churches in Jerusalem, have met today, when our region is living one of its most crucial crisis hi its modern history, dangerously poised on the brink of a devastating war.

We, the Spiritual Heads of the Christian Communities in the Holy Land, call upon the world leaders to follow the course of negotiation and peace and spare the region from ultimate destruction.

We deplore the fact that the Patriarchs and the heads of the Christian Churches in the Holy Land are constant targets of attacks by Israeli officials and the Israeli media.

We consider if our sacred duty to voice our concern about human rights’ violations in the Occupied Territories, and everywhere, as well as with Jews in Israel.

We call upon all parties to reconcile, forgive and love each other.

We call upon the responsible to follow the path of negotiation rather than violence.

The prospects of constructive dialogue and peace in the Holy Land are receding. Despair is the pervasive mood.

We are witnessing a deterioration in the condition of the Palestinian people. There if a considerable suffering and loss of lives. We pray for a quick reconciliation and a just settlement of the conflict.

As we look back at the past year, we witness that the local Church had to cope with a host of problems of a new nature:

Constant attempts to change the demographic character or the Old City of Jerusalem, for example, the forcible and continuing seizure by “Ateret Cohanim” settlers of the St. John’s Hospice (property of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate).

Continuing erosion of the traditional rights and centuries’ old privileges of the Churches. Municipal and state taxes are being imposed on the Churches, in addition to encroachment on church land and properties, thus endangering its very survival.

We express our deep concern for the new problems confronting the local Church. They interfere with the proper functioning of our religious institutions, and we call upon the civil authorities in the country to safeguard our historic rights and status honoured by all governments.

We ask our sons and daughters to join us in fervent prayer on Christmas Night, may the Lord grant us patience, strength and love.

In view of the continuing, sad state of affairs in our land, we have decided to restrict Christmas festivities to religious ceremonies, without any manifestation of joy, and devote our prayers for the peace of the Land and the world. Furthermore, all exchange visits between the Communities are cancelled.

Once more, we launch an urgent appeal from Bethlehem to all peace-loving peopleto influence their leaders to resolve the conflict in the Gulf without bloodshed and enormous loss of human lives

We pray to the Lord to guide the leaders of the world in the path of peace and justice, and we pray for a year free of the threat of war and violence, extending our blessing to all the faithful.

Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem

Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem

Custos of the Holy Land (Franciscan)

Syrian Archbishop of Jerusalem

Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem and President Bishop of Anglican Church

The Greek-Catholic Patriarchal Vicar

The Lutheran Bishop of Jerusalem

JT.: S. 30 / Lindén 93ff

On the occasion of the visit of the Secretary General of the United Nations to Baghdad in pursuit of a peaceful resolution of the current crisis, We, the Patriarchs and Heads of Christian Communities in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, on behalf of all peoples urge you to support all efforts of peace and to avoid war, to spare lives and to promote a just resolution of all causes of conflict in the Middle East. A war never creates justice and peace, only suffering and more destruction.

Therefore, we extend this message of hope to your Excellencies, President George Bush and President Saddam Hussein, to consider most seriously this our plea, and the anxious cries of millions around the world.

We pray that you will decide for peace and relieve the current anxiety in the hearts of children, women, and men of all nations.

“Blessed are the peacemakers”

JT.: S. 32

“We hope to bring to the attention of Your Excellency our profound concern in light of the current situation. As of today it has been almost two weeks that the entire civilian population of the West Bank of Jordan and of Gaza, numbering 1.5 million people, has been under the strictest possible total curfew. This type of collective punishment affects the daily lives of thousands of women, children, and elderly people. The extended curfew has resulted in considerable suffering for the entire population and has deprived the people of all their vital services. It has prevented believers from carrying out their religious obligations in all the places of worship.

“We ask that Your Excellency intercede forthwith to have this unwarranted curfew lifted and to allow citizens to return to their normal lives during these critical and difficult times. May God protect us all from the evils of war.”

In light of this inhumane situation, the Greek Orthodox, Latin, and Armenian Patriarchs, as well as the Custos of the Holy Land, met together on January 30 at the Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate, and sent a joint telegram to the President of the State of Israel.

JT.: S. 33 (Fragment) / [Press Statement] (Curfew since two weeks)

As we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord, we, the Patriarchs and the Heads of the Christian Churches in the Holy Land share with you, our beloved Children, the message of joy and hope in the risen Christ. We have gathered to reflect on the events of the last months and the future of our region.We have repeatedly expressed our opposition against war, violence and use of force as means to resolve conflicts and misunderstandings between nations. We were deeply pained to witness a destructive war which took its heavy toll on human lives.

During the whole duration of the war, the Occupied Territories were subjected to an unwarranted harsh curfew causing considerable economic stress and human hardship. As a result the population of the West Bank and Gaza are now in dire need of massive international financial support.To date, despite local and international protest, it is more than forty months that Universities in the West Bank and Gaza remain closed. This had adversely affected the education of our youth, depriving them of one of their most basic rights. We call upon the Israeli authorities to honour their undertaking for free and unrestricted education.

The Christian churches of the Holy Land, throughout their long historical presence, and despite many vicissitudes, have managed to retain their historical rights in the service of their Faithful and the Holy Places. Today the churches face many difficulties maintaining these rights. We stress again that our Historical Rights are not negotiable. The ongoing occupation of St. John’s Hospice (adjoining the Holy Sepulchre) by Jewish settlers is a primary source of our concern. In this occupation we see an attempt to change the unique and pluralistic character of Jerusalem, We demand the authorities to honour their commitments towards the Churches. We are confident that the international Community, after the Gulf crisis and war, ‘is able to find a just solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict A just solution would end the cycle of violence and injustice.

During this Holy Week we call upon you, dear Faithful, and upon the whole world to pray fervently for the just solution of the Palestinian, Lebanese and Cypriot problems. Let us pray for the recovery of peace, prosperity and stability in our Holy Land. Lasting peace is only possible through coexistence, reconciliation and the fulfilment of the aspirations of all peoples by the attainment of their full Sovereignty.

May the risen Christ, who reconciled God with man through his Crucifixion, grant us in this Holy Week, wisdom, strength and inspiration for the reconciliation of all men, as children of the same Heavenly Father and Creator of the Universe.

We ask you, dear Faithful to pray in this spirit, especially during the Holy Week, May the Resurrected Christ bestow His blessings upon our Land and grant us lasting and just peace.

Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem

Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem

Custos of the Holy Land

Coptic Archbishop of Jerusalem

Syrian Archbishop of Jerusalem

Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem and Presiding Bishop of Anglican Church in the Middle East

The Greek-Catholic Patriarchal Vicar

The Lutheran Bishop of Jerusalem

JT.: S. 34 / Lindén 103f

We express our deep concern and alarm for the growing feeling of insecurity and ear among our people and Churches.

Last week because of a misleading and tendentious dissemination of facts, the Franciscans were subjected to calumnious reporting in the Israel media.

We were equally shocked to witness an organised demonstration during which a Jewish extremist group burnt the Vatican flag and marched freely and unimpeded with hostile and anti-Christian slogans against one of our Convents in Jerusalem, St Saviour’s, the main Monastery of the Custody of the Holy Land.

The occupation of the St John’s Hospice of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate by another Jewish extremist group during Holy Week of April 1990, was another serious and unprecedented encroachment on Christian rights and property in the history of the Holy City.

Such grave incidents constitute a serious threat to the future of Christianity and its rights of the Holy City.

We call upon the responsible authorities to honour the historical inviolability and integrity of the Holy Places, Churches and Convents in the Holy City.

No one has the right to exploit the Holy Places for political and repressive reasons. No one has the right to enter Churches and Convents without authorisation of their legitimate owners and superiors. We denounce the distortion of facts as they appeared in the Jerusalem Post, on Tuesday, May 28th, 1991.

May Almighty God inspire all the responsible leaders in this conflict to strive for peace and justice and guide their people by all available means including the media, toward peace, reconciliation and elimination of the underlying causes of social and political injustice and turmoil.

Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem

Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem

Custes of the Holy Land

Coptic Archbishop of Jerusalem

Syrian Archbishop of Jerusalem

Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem and Presiding Bishop of Anglican Church

The Greek-Catholic Patriarchal Vicar

The Lutheran Bishop of Jerusalem

JT.: S. 34 / Linden 107f