Archbishop of Canterbury Arrives in Holy Land

October 24, 2023237 views0

Archbishop of Canterbury Arrives in Holy Land

2023-10-24T10:36:53+01:00

By Church News

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby arrived in the Holy Land in a solidarity visit to the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem.In the Anglican Cathedral of St. George the Martyr, all the patriarchs and heads of the churches of Jerusalem gathered for a communal, private prayer. This was a way to express solidarity with the churches most affected by the recent tragedies and to lift up their prayers together with God for peace in the Holy Land.The prayer service was led by the Anglican bishop of Jerusalem, Hosam Naum, and the final blessing was given by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Anglican bishops and priests wore black vestments. prayer-st-george-6

In an interview during the event with the Italian television TV2000, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa expressed his sorrow for the tragedy at the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius in Gaza.“We are living in great sorrow. The pain of those families, who have already been enduring for a long time, is immense, and we stand with them. We pray that this situation ends as soon as possible.”Pizzaballa also didn’t hide his concern for the at least 500 people who have taken refuge in the Latin parish of Gaza, the Church of the Holy Family.“We know that the area and the neighbourhood are military targets. Warnings have been issued,” he said to TV2000. “Our community, which is well-informed, has decided to stay. They don’t know where to go and say that no place in the Gaza Strip is safe. So they prefer to stay there, pray, and trust in God. It’s very moving to see how, despite everything, they maintain a strong faith, which hasn’t been shaken even by these bombs.”ALSO READ: Blessing Offor Unveils ‘Like A Child’