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I write about the desperate needs of our 300,000 Christian brothers and sisters in the Holy Land. The occupation and siege of the Church of the Nativity this Spring made clear how the Church in the Holy Land is under pressure on all sides. The feelings of vulnerability were increased just a few weeks later by Israeli bombing of the third-century Shrine of Saint Barbara in the village of Aboud. The majority of Palestinians are unemployed in an economy that has been devastated by conflict, curfews, and road closures that make movement and commerce between towns next to impossible. Unemployment among Christians is further exacerbated by the virtual disappearance of foreign pilgrims. Almost half of Palentinians live on less that $2 per day, and 22.5 percent of Palestinian children under five are suffering from malnutrition. Suicide bombings against Israelis make the Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza vulnerable to repeated Israeli assaults. Security regulations, contrary to international law, make even the delivery of humanitarian aid by agencies like Catholic Relief Services, the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, and Caritas unimaginably difficult. The Christians of the Holy Land are in need of our solidarity and support: spritual, moral and financial. They need Catholics in this country to give voice to their suffering and to urge our own government to do all that it can to end the violence and bring about a just peace that guarantees a safe and secure Israel and a viable, independent Palestinian state. Until peace comes, they need our support for an end to suicide bombings, aggressive military assaults, and a harsh Israeli occupation. They also are in sore need of financial support for emergency relief, job creation, and rehabilitation for war-damaged homes. They need support, too, for Catholic schools and parishes, which have not escaped the devastating impact of the current crisis. And they and all the people of the Holy Land need our constant prayers. The unresolved Palestinian-Israeli conflict has put the ancient Christian communities of the Holy Land in peril. I urge you to learn all you can about the conflict and the road to peace. Provide relief and redevelopment aid through contributions to our Catholic agencies, and speak up on behalf of free access to humanitarian aid, an end to Israeli occupation and Palestinian violence, a speedy political settlement, and a just peace. The Christians of the Holy Land are the descendants and inheritors of the early Christians. Their presence around the Holy Sites ensures these places remain living communities of faith rather than bare, stony ruins. They look especially to Catholics in the United States to support them in their time of trial. Let them not be disappointed. I am committed to helping them. I hope you will too. ******************************** At a time of terrible conflict, Christians in the Holy Land desperately need our prayers and support. Please consider contributing to one of the following organizations that provide support for humanitarian efforts, schools, housing, job programs, parishes, and education/advocacy: Catholic Near East Welfare Association, (212) 826-1480, www.cnewa.org; Catholic Relief Services, (410) 625-2220, www.catholicrelief.org; Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land, (202) 269-5430, www.ffhl.org; The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation, (301) 951-9400, www.hcef.org; The Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, (617) 696-3555, www.oessg-gm.net/Gran_Magistero.htm.
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