WelCom June/July 2024
Australia’s Catholic bishops have issued a statement on the conflict in the Middle East, calling for a just ceasefire, the release of all hostages and unhindered access to aid.
The bishops said the ‘violence in the Holy Land has shaken many people around the world. We too, have been shaken’.
‘With Pope Francis, we put our faith in the possibility of a just resolution to the worsening crisis between Israelis and Palestinians. With him we say: “Enough, please! Let us all say: Stop! Please stop!”’
The bishops said the ‘people of the Holy Land are suffering in a way that cries out to the world to pray for peace, to call for peace, to work for peace’.
‘We believe that a just ceasefire with the release of all hostages and unhindered access for desperately needed aid are essential at this time. We support global efforts to negotiate a lasting peace.’
Melbourne Archbishop Peter Comensoli recently made a secret trip to Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Lebanon on a ‘pilgrimage of solidarity’.
In a letter to the Archdiocese on his return he wrote: ‘The pilgrimage allowed for significant opportunities in prayer, engagement and learning through that part of the world where, in the past, Christ walked and ministered, and where, today, the great Abrahamic religions and historical cultures live side-by-side, in very complex, and presently tragic ways.’
Here in New Zealand, the Council for International Development, which includes Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand, has issued a desperate plea for the New Zealand Government to push for all parties to uphold international humanitarian law. [See: tinyurl.com/NOT-A-TARGET-Statement]
‘Approximately 1.5 million civilians are currently sheltering in Rafah,’ said Mena Antonio, Chief Executive of Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand. ‘The crowded conditions mean hundreds of thousands of civilians are directly in the line of fire, risking death, serious injury, and lasting trauma. This is abhorrent and unacceptable.’
Sources: ACBC Media Blog, Melbourne Catholic, NZ Council for International Development