European Union Church Leaders "We call on the political leaders of all parties to exercise their responsibility to ensure a ceasefire...and make a peaceful coexistence of the two peoples in two States possible."
.jpeg)
The meeting of the CCEE-CEC Joint Committee took place from 5 to 7 November in Belgrade. The delegation from the Conference of European Churches (CEC) with its President H. Em. Nikitas, Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain, and that of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) with its President H.E. Msgr. Gintaras Grušas, Archbishop of Vilnius, were welcomed by the Archbishop of Belgrade, H.E. Msgr. Ladislav Nemet, CCEE Vice President.
Among the items on the agenda were the presentation of the work of the 16th Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops given by Card. Jean-Claude Hollerich, General Rapporteur of the Synod; the report of the Working Group for the Update of the European Charta Oecumenica, provided by Ms. Lea Schlenker of the Protestant Church in Germany, and His Eminence Card. Grzegorz Ryś, Archbishop of Łódź; a reflection on the situation in Europe: “The war against Ukraine”, provided by Rev. Rostyslav Vorobii, from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, and “The current position of migrants and refugees: from the Balkans to Palestine”, by Fr. Stanko Perica SJ, suit Refugee Service Regional Director for South-East Europe.
The work concluded with a Declaration by the CCEE-CEC Joint Committee on the situation in the Middle East:
The violence and cruelty of Hamas terrorists, who struck Israel on 7 October, stunned
and horrified the world. We, the leaders of the Christian Churches in Europe, express our
deep compassion for those who died, were injured, or lost a loved one, and we turn our
thoughts to the hostages and their families. We acknowledge the historical context of
colonialism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia which has led to the current situation. We
acknowledge the immense suffering on both sides of this conflict.
We are deeply
saddened by the destruction of sacred sites which are traditionally seen as places of
refuge. We stand in solidarity with those in Israel and in Palestine who work to promote
peace and we affirm that violence cannot be a way to defend a cause. The destruction of
life advances no freedom, no truth, no justice. We call on the political leaders of all parties to exercise their responsibility to ensure a
ceasefire on all fronts. We demand that terrorists are brought to justice, that all civilian
lives – Jewish, Christian and Muslim – are protected, and that humanitarian corridors are
opened to allow access to care and evacuation. The grave situation in which the people
of Gaza live, restricted in their fundamental rights and forced to suffer injustices, has
been going on for too long. We demand the entire international community to mobilise
and uphold the international law, in particular the UN resolutions, with the aim of
opening serious negotiations to create a lasting peace, in truth and justice.
It is urgent, now more than ever, to seek the way of righteousness, revealed to us in the
Gospel, following the example of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, who, by his death and
resurrection, reconciled us with God, making us all children of God.
We invite the faithful of our Churches to pray for all those who are suffering, and we
invoke God's mercy for all, remembering that we are all members of the one common
humanity. We also pray and hope that those in authority over nations engage in a genuine
dialogue that will uphold the human dignity of all and make a peaceful coexistence of the
two peoples in two States possible.
7 November 2023
Source: https://www.ccee.eu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Dichiarazione-Comitato-CCEE-CEC_EN.pdf
The Council of Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE) is made up of thirty-nine members, of which thirty-three are Bishops’ Conferences, the Archbishops of Luxembourg, the Principality of Monaco, the Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus and the Bishops of Chişinău (Moldova) of the Mukachevo Eparchy and the Apostolic Administration of Estonia; all together they represent the Catholic Church in forty-five countries in the European continent.
Comments