International delegation of bishops visits Gaza and Bethlehem

Church of the Holy Family

The annual Holy Land Coordination pilgrimage of bishops from Europe, North America, and South Africa is now underway in Bethlehem and the Jordanian capital, Amman. British and Irish delegates include: Bishop Declan Lang representing England and Wales; Bishop Thomas McAreavey for Ireland; Bishop William Nolan from Scotland, CoE Bishop Christopher Chessun and Bishop William Kenney representing the Commission of Bishops' Conferences of the European Community. (See end for the full list of delegates*).

The group is visiting local parishes, schools and aid and development organizations to show the support of the worldwide Christian community and gain insights into the complex problems underlying Israeli-Palestinian relations.

Ahead of their main meetings which take place from January 9-14, the bishops spent two days in Gaza to see how people there are recovering from the 2014 conflict in which more than 2,200 Palestinians were killed, including 1,462 civilians of whom 495 were children and 263 were women. Israel also suffered casualties: 66 military personnel were killed, and seven civilians - one of whom was a Thai worker.

Fr Mario da Silva, a Brazilian priest from the Institute of the Incarnate Word, serves as parish priest of the Holy Family Church in Gaza. He spoke with Christopher Wells from Vatican Radio. Listen to the full interview here: http://media02.radiovaticana.va/audio/audio2/mp3/00511588.mp3

Fr Mario da Silva said the major problem in Gaza is not the 2014 war but, rather, the wall. People living in Gaza cannot leave the area for vacation or work so poverty is a major problem there.

Speaking about the Holy Family Parish, Fr da Silva said it bears its name proudly, since the Holy Family surely passed through the area from Jerusalem on their way to exile in Egypt, as recounted in the Gospel of Matthew. It is also traditionally known as the place where Samson died.

Fr Mario said the parish tries to offer spiritual and material help. "These people are suffering so much. We can help them to keep their faith ... with our advice, our preaching, the Mass, the Sacraments. But also we must help them with material things because they are very poor."

After mentioning to the Patriarch that his parishioners could not enter Jerusalem to receive the graces of the Holy Year, Fr Mario received permission to open a Holy Door for the Jubilee Year in his little parish. "It is a very big grace for us, for all the people in the Gaza Strip."

Fr da Silva said he would like to share with the world how much he had learned from the people of Gaza, from their witness of faith. "They are a small number, just 130 Catholic Christians, but they are keeping their faith, and it is very, very beautiful to see this."

Bishops of the Holy Land Coordination 2016*

England & Wales - Bishop Declan Lang
Canada - Bishop Lionel Gendron
France - Bishop Michel Dubost
Germany - Bishop Thomas Renz
Ireland - Bishop John McAreavey
Italy - Bishop Rodolfo Cetoloni
Scandinavia - Bishop Peter Burcher
Scotland - Bishop William Nolan
South Africa - Archbishop Stephen Brislin
Spain - Archbishop Joan Vives
Switzerland - Bishop Felix Gmur
United States of America - Bishop Oscar Cantu
Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community - Bishop William Kenney
Church of England - Bishop Christopher Chessun