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Church Leaders Express Sorrow For Palestinian Suffering
WASHINGTON, April 14 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The heads of Palestinian Christian communities on Saturday issued in a message for Easter a joint statement stressing Palestinian suffering and calling for the end of Israel blockades and curfews which church leaders describe as collective punishment.
"Our suffering and fear in the past few months has increased in view of the uncertainty of the political situation.
"We reassure each and every one of our sons and daughters that we share the pain of every family that is deprived of hope as they go through their daily lives without jobs and income, or are exposed physically and psychologically to the painful measures that are imposed on them," said church leaders, including the patriarchs of historic churches in Palestine.
"Although the closures that are sealing most of the Palestinian territories bring days of deep despair, we ought to remain committed to hope," they added.
The statement included a prayer for "the immediate end of all collective punishments, especially for the lifting of the closures of Palestinian towns and villages."
The statement called also for peace, which Christian leaders said could only be secured through mutual reconciliation.
However, they put the greater responsibility for achieving such a peace on Israel, both by referring to international resolutions, an apparent reference to the U.N., and to the Palestinians.
"In no way can this peace be imposed by sheer force: it is nurtured by an honest application of justice and mercy in line with internationally accepted legitimate resolutions for the benefit of the weaker part [Palestinians]," said the statement.
Saturday is marked by Orthodox churches with the ceremony of the Holy Fire at noon at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and with midnight Easter services Sunday night.
Despite the dates for Easter being the same this year for both the western and Eastern churches, a relatively small number of Christian pilgrims from abroad, with local Christians, are expected to participate in the traditional ceremonies, which include processions with crosses along the Via Dolorosa in the Old City of Jerusalem marking Good Friday.
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