Bishops to meet refugees during Holy Land visit

THE BISHOP of Clifton, Declan Lang will next week lead a delegation of bishops from across the globe in a visit to Christian communities in Gaza, Bethlehem and refugees in Jordan, as part of the annual meeting of the Holy Land Coordination, writes Rose Gamble.

The bishops from across Europe, South Africa and North America will be in the Holy Land from 7 to 14 January. In Bethlehem, they will visit the Christian community of Beit Jala, which has lost land and livelihood following the annexation of their property and the building of a separation wall in the Cremisan Valley. They will also met refugees in Jordan where one million people – most of them Syrians – have been forced from their homes as a result of the conflict in Iraq and Syria.

“It is important that we, as bishops from the Western world, stand with those Christians who believe they have been forgotten,” Bishop Declan told The Tablet. “We need to hear peoples’ stories so we can be advocates for them in our home countries on our return.”