» 01/09/2012 15:32 PALESTINE - ISRAEL Catholics in Gaza welcome 8 bishops from Europe and North America The visit took place before the annual meeting of the Coordination of Episcopal Conferences in Support the Church of the Holy Land. Auxiliary bishop in Birmingham says: “You’re not alone, no one has given up, have hope and faith in God and the Church”.
Gaza (AsiaNews) - The small Catholic community of Gaza welcomed the visit of eight bishops from Europe and North America, just one day before the annual meeting of the Coordination of Episcopal Conferences in Support of the Church of the Holy Land, yesterday. Greeted by a band of 40 scouts, the Bishops brought messages of support from their dioceses and respective Bishops’ Conferences. Bishop William Kenney, auxiliary bishop in Birmingham told the parishioners: “You are not forgotten, you’re not alone, no one has given up, have hope and faith in God and the Church”.
The Apostolic Nuncio, archbishop Antonio Franco, presided the Mass, which took place at the Holy Family Parish Church in Gaza. After mass, there was an open meeting with the parishioners. The faithful shared their experiences of living in Gaza, where the economic blockade, the security situation and an increasing fundamentalism affect work and freedom of movement.
On a total population of 1,5 million, the Christian community of Gaza is made up of 2.500. Catholics are about 300. Despite the small figure, Catholics are very active among the community. Along the parish of the Holy Family Church, religious nuns run a home for the elderly, a centre for the disabled, a kindergarden and a Catholic schools.
Since 1998, the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has organized the annual meeting of the Coordination of Episcopal conferences in Support of the Church of Holy Land. The aim is to act in solidarity and share the pastoral life with the local Christian community.
The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land attended the opening session of today. The meeting will close on January 12nd. Both Israeli and Palestinian ministers and politicians will join the event. During the meeting, the participants will talk about the impact of Arab Spring and the socio-political changes in the region.
Episcopal participants for this year’s Holy Land Coordination are: mgr. Patrick Kelly, archbishop of Liverpool and deputy chairman of Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales; mgr. Richard Smith, archbishop of Edmonton, Canada; mgr. Johan-Enric Vives, archbishop of Urgel, Spain; mgr. Gerald Kicanas, bishop of Tucson, US; mgr. Heinrich Mussinghoff, bishop of Aachen and deputy chairman of Bishops’ Conference of Germany; mgr Michel Dubost, bishop of Evry, France; mgr, Riccardo Fontana, bishop of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro, Italy; mgr. William Kenney, auxiliary bishop of Birmingham and spokesperson for European Affairs of Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
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