THE Archbishop of Canterbury has responded to criticism that he ignored Palestinian Christians during a five-day visit to the Holy Land….
Press reports last week suggested that some Palestinian Christians were angry that, during a visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Archbishop Welby did not visit Nazareth or Bethlehem. He did, however, meet Palestinian Christians in Jerusalem and Ramallah.
He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?†And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.†Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.
John 21:16-18
On this controversy there is nothing I can usefully add. However, I would plead for readers of this site: if you visit the Holy Land on pilgrimage, make sure that your pilgrimage leaders have set aside time for you to worship with, and meet, the local Christians. For Anglicans, there is the Arabic language congregation at St George’s Cathedral in Jerusalem, and the entirely Arabic Christ Church in Nazareth. There are Hebrew Christians at Christ Church in Jerusalem. For Catholics the choice is huge, and I would recommend the Melkite ie Greek Catholic congregation at its lovely church near the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. For Orthodox too, the choice is huge – where is Ad Orientem now that we need her? Lutherans, you have churches in both Bethlehem and Jerusalem in prominent sites at the very centre of things. Worship with and meet local Christians, the living stones.